Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 22-05-2023

Three pedestrian crossing signs were painted within the Reliance Police Station District by Dhanwantri Persaud, President of Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation of Reliance Veda Centre, East Canje Berbice, with the assistance of Police ranks from the Central Police Station’s Traffic Department (Photo: Guyana Police Force)

Gov’t engages Region Nine residents on progress of UN’s SDGs

THE Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation on Saturday hosted a Hinterland Stakeholder Consultation on the presentation of Guyana's second Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in St. Ignatius village, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

There, 24 village leaders and approximately 150 persons were able to meet and review Guyana’s progress in effecting its Sustainable Development Agenda. The VNR allows for the input of all stakeholders including persons in riverain and hinterland com-

munities and the consultation saw presentations made by various sectors.

It allowed for discussion on the current position in terms

of objectives and perspectives looking ahead, while also presenting an opportunity for interaction with the wide cross section of stakeholder groups

in attendance as they examined mainly five of the SDGs.

They are: Goal Six – Potable Water, Water Sanitation and Harvesting Water; Goal Seven – Renewable Energy and Access to Energy; Goal Nine – Infrastructure Industry and Innovation; Goal 11 - Cities and Municipalities, Housing, Disaster Risk Management and Preparedness, and Goal 17 - Means and Implementation of the SDGs.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines a transformative vision for economic, social and environmental development.

“Government has continuously reaffirmed its commitment to advancing implementation of the Agenda, aimed at achieving the SDGs,

despite the challenging global economic context. Under the leadership of His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the current administration has been, as mandated, preparing its review with focus placed on five of the SDGs in preparation for the upcoming SDG Summit to be held in September 2023,” a press release from the Finance Ministry noted.

Addressing those gathered on Saturday, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government is people-centred and people-driven as he noted that the engagement is not to be seen as an isolated activity but one in which the government prides itself.

Minister Singh also high-

lighted the key interventions made by the government in various sectors in pursuit of the achievement of the SDG goals.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told the residents that the presence of the Government Ministers was not due to the absence of other engagements at this time but is a clear symbol of the priorities of the Irfaan Ali-led administration and how it engages the Indigenous people.

The forum also sought to provide an opportunity for active discussion on longstanding challenges and the country’s vulnerability in terms of fighting climate change as well as external shocks.

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh meets with residents of Region Nine

A section of the gathering at the forum

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill addresses residents of Region Nine

Guyana well positioned to be major player in tourism

By Cassandra Khan

WITH its plethora of natural attributes, Guyana must focus on building the necessary infrastructure and a brand which can make it competitive in the tourism market.

This is according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali, who delivered the feature address at the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana’s (THAG) annual President’s Awards Gala and Auction on Saturday night.

He said that Guyana’s tourism product is community-based and targeted, and is therefore very important to the economy.

“Tourism is going to be one of the main components of the structure of our economy now and in the future. We have to now work on building a structure around this model,” President Ali related.

He stated that the model

will contain the core attributes of what Guyana is going to sell to the world.

President Ali related that Guyana’s tourism is not urban-based, but urban-influenced and he called for the establishment of a National Birding Club.

“...we have the Botanical Gardens that could be created into one of the world's most intense urban birding destinations. This is a natural asset in our tourism product so we are right in the hub, but why are we not in the network?” he said.

President Ali explained that the establishment of the club is the first thing needed to get into the birding network.

“We have to set up a national birding group and then the government must support the National Birding Association to be part of the global network through providing and helping with marketing

and strategically positioning ourselves,” he said.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

President Ali, sharing statistics, said that the health and wellness market is a $4.2 trillion market which is projected to grow by 6.9 per cent. He said that the government has been working on different fronts to position themselves in this market.

He noted that tourists who are interested in health and wellness tourism have a preference for it to be nature-based as well as having a close connectivity to a good healthcare system.

“We have all the natural attributes to be competitive in this sector. We don't have the infrastructure and we have not created a brand. So what is our brand? Our brand is our indigenous people and their tradition,” the President related.

- birding, health tourism have great potential - President Ali

He said that Guyana must now deploy the brand and invest in the culture and tradition.

Further, he stated that Guyana has to start writing the story behind the brand, because once they can write the story behind a brand, then the brand is beyond something consumable. It evokes different attributes and appeals to social consciousness which are a big part of the market in which they are competing in.

He said that Guyana cannot develop health and wellness tourism without developing the cultural and traditional attributes of the indigenous people of the country and then branding it.

Additionally, President Ali noted that Guyana has a variety of teas that are not being capitalised on, as well as products that already have a place in the diaspora, which can be used to build a product that is sustainable, strong, and resilient.

He said that Guyana produces rare coffee beans that only two per cent of the world market have, and efforts are afoot to rebuild the country’s coffee industry.

“We are speaking with scientists out of Brazil and India to come in and to establish the nurseries here so we can go on massive large scale production because that must be part of the model,” he informed.

PARTNERSHIPS

Moreover, President Ali mentioned Guyana’s partnerships with Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Costa Rica.

He singled out Costa Rica, stating that that country is already well-positioned in the tourism industry.

President Ali stated that Guyana has demonstrated to this partner that it is not a competition but rather an opportunity to work together and share the market.

“How do we work with Costa Rica in creating a winwin scenario for markets that offer similar products?” he

asked before noting that Guyana does not have the luxury of time to catch up, because some of the markets are so mature.

He said if Guyana “goes along a straight line,” the country may never catch up with the other countries.

Additionally, he said that the government has a very important role in tourism, one in which it must work with every stakeholder to ensure safety; not only safety from a security point of view, but safety from a cultural perspective.

“When tourists come they must feel safe in the country, safe in the club, in the restaurant, safe on the boat…safety has to be a culture so that even outside of the mainstream tourism, a tourist arriving must follow the same standards,” President Ali explained.

He related that the government and the tourism as-

sociation must now work on developing a national action plan that targets the level of security it wants to achieve.

Meanwhile, President Ali noted that Guyana has taken a very deliberate approach to developing its infrastructure.

He said that at the end of May, he will be meeting with the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, to discuss the further expansion of the Lethem road.

He added that the government is working on sports tourism, horse racing, and motor racing, stating that they are going to aggressively pursue international and regional sporting events so that more traffic is brought into the country.

President Ali noted that once they get the tourism model right, they are going to do targeted marketing.

Scenes from THAG’s Annual President’s Award Gala and Auction (Office of the President photos)

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

Realtors welcome upcoming Real Estate Legislation

THE Realtor Association of Guyana says it welcomes the upcoming Real Estate Bill of 2023, and noted that this regulatory framework will legitimise players in the industry, and remove those who are unable to come into compliance.

This is according to one of the members of the Association, Youni Abdul who told the Guyana Chronicle that the Association is part of the ongoing consultation process for the draft Bill, which is expected to be laid in the National Assembly soon.

According to Abdul,

this framework will help integrate the real estate industry into the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework, which gives real estate bro-

kers and agents the power to report suspicious transactions.

He added, “This legislation will certainly infuse confidence and professionalism, and enhance credibility in the real estate sector, as the sector, from time to time, has been plagued with criticism in the public eye.”

He further noted that the Bill will also cause players in the industry to uphold strict ethics and Codes of Conduct moving forward.

Based on the consultations held already, Abdul stated that the Bill has two priorities, including regulations and protection for players in the industry.

“It will also bring rules

and regulations to the industry, in terms of registration, licensing, the creation of a Real Estate Authority, and also any penalties and punishment for errant members of the industry,” he added.

Meanwhile, he noted that there is still an ongoing consultation process between the Realtor Association of Guyana and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, even as the Bill is expected to be laid in the National Assembly before the upcoming recess.

Through these consultations, Abdul indicated that the Association said that the authorities clearly define the functions and extent of the Bill, definitions of brokers and agents along with the qualifications for agents

among other things.

Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney- General Anil Nandlall earlier this month presented a copy of the draft Real Estate Bill 2023, and highlighted its provisions and objectives.

He said that the current economic expansion in Guyana has resulted in billions of dollars passing through the sector, which is currently without necessary regulations. The Bill was drafted after consultations with local real estate bodies, and the consideration of industry best practices and international standards. At the time, Minister Nandlall had said that the draft Bill would be circulated, and the consultative process would continue.

Members of the Association during one of the meetings with the Attorney-General

Ukraine war: Bakhmut ‘not occupied’ by Russia, says defiant Zelensky

(BBC) - A defiant Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted Bakhmut "is not occupied" by Russia after a Moscow-backed mercenary group had claimed control. Ukraine's president was speaking during a scene-stealing visit to Hiroshima, Japan, for the G7 summit.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin had earlier claimed victory in Bakhmut. But Ukrainian military sources told the BBC they still had control of a handful of buildings on the outskirts of the city.

At a press conference on the final day of the summit, Mr Zelensky refused to provide precise details. But he said the city, where the war's longest and bloodiest battle has raged since August, was "not occupied" by Russia "as of today".

"There are no two or three interpretations of those words," he added, after earlier confusion about his remarks on the status of the

city.

It was in a video posted on Saturday that Wagner's Mr Prigozhin claimed his fighters - who have led the Russian assault on Bakhmut - were in full control of the city.

Mr Zelensky compared Bakhmut to Hiroshima, which was hit by an atomic bomb in World War Two, promising a similar "reconstruction" of his country.

Earlier on Sunday, he visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - when the United States dropped the bomb on the city in 1945.

Mr Zelensky laid a wreath for those who were killed in the attack. After a meeting with Mr Kishida, he strode into an auditorium at the peace park to speak to reporters. As he entered, one journalist shouted from the back of the room: "Slava Ukraini" (glory to Ukraine).

Mr Zelensky nodded to acknowledge her.

He drew several parallels between Hiroshima and Ukraine, saying that pictures of the Japanese city in ruins after bombing reminded him of present-day Bakhmut. He vowed there would be a similar "reconstruction and recovery" of Ukraine.

"Now Hiroshima has rebuilt their city, and we dream of rebuilding our cities," he said. There had earlier

been some confusion about the status of Bakhmut, after Mr Zelensky said "today Bakhmut is only in our hearts".

His office later clarified that he had not said that the city had fallen. But Russian fighters at least control most of Bakhmut. Wagner mercenaries have concentrated their efforts there for months, and their relentless, costly

tactic of sending in waves of men seems to have gradually eroded Kyiv's resistance.

Ukrainian forces have resisted calls for a tactical withdrawal to this point, but say that if they did pull out it would be a "Pyrrhic victory" for the Russians. Mr Zelensky also alluded to his troops continuing to carry out "important work" in the area.

A top Ukrainian general later said Kyiv's forces were making advances on the outskirts of Bakhmut and were getting closer to a "tactical encirclement" of the city.

Analysts say that Bakhmut is of little strategic value to Moscow, but its capture would be a symbolic victory for Russia after the longest battle of the war in Ukraine so far.

However, when Russia fought fiercely to claim the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk last summer, Ukraine soon reclaimed swathes of territory elsewhere.

It will no doubt be hoping

to use a similar strategy for an anticipated counter-offensive this year. The war in Ukraine has dominated the three-day summit of G7 leaders in Japan, with Mr Zelensky meeting with several world leaders to lobby for more support.

His persistence paid off. At the summit, the US announced it would allow its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including American-made F-16s.

However, as yet no country has committed to supplying the jets to Ukraine. Asked by the BBC how confident he was about getting F-16s from his allies, Mr Zelensky said: "We will be working on that, I'm sure… I cannot tell you how many - this is not a secret, we really don't know."

The BBC also asked him when his delayed spring counter-offensive would begin. "Russia will feel when we have a counter-offensive," he replied.

US debt ceiling: Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy seek to break impasse

(BBC) - President Joe Biden and top Republican Kevin McCarthy have spoken on the phone, in a change of tone in stalled talks on lifting the US debt ceiling. Mr McCarthy said his call with Mr Biden, who was returning from the G7 summit in Japan, had been “productive” and the two would meet on Monday.

The two sides remain at odds over budget cuts demanded by the Republicans as a condition for raising the ceiling. Failure to do so by June could result in the US defaulting on its debt.

That would mean the federal government could not borrow more money or pay all its bills. The Treasury Department

has warned that a default could begin on 1 June.

Such an outcome would cause chaos in financial markets and lead to further rises in interest rates. As he left Japan on Sunday, Mr Biden told reporters that proposals by Republicans - who control the House of Representatives - were “simply, quite frankly, unacceptable”.

He added: “It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well.” But Mr Biden also said would be willing to cut spending to reach a deal and he would speak Mr McCarthy on his way home.

The president can -

celled foreign visits that were due to follow the three-day summit in Hiroshima, in order to deal with the impasse over the federal debt. After the call, Mr McCarthy told reporters the discussions had been positive. “I think we can solve some of these problems if he understands what we’re looking at,” he said.

A White House official said staff members from both sides would meet on Sunday evening “to discuss remaining issues”.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday that 1 June remained a “hard deadline”. She told NBC that without a deal “we expect to be unable to pay all of our bills in early

June”.

Failure to lift the ceiling could see the US suspend its social insurance payments and the salaries of federal and military employees. Default also threatens to wreak havoc on the global economy, affecting prices and mortgage rates in other countries.

The impasses has rattled financial markets. On Friday the Dow ended

down 0.3%, the S&P 500 dipped 0.1% and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2%.

In exchange for s upport for raising the debt ceiling, Republicans are demanding budget cuts to the tune of $4.5tn, which includes scuppering several of Mr Biden’s legislative priorities.

The White House has called the Republican proposal “a blueprint to devastate hard-working Amer-

ican families”, although it has indicated that it may make some budgetary concessions.

Both President Biden and Mr McCarthy are under pressure from the left and right flanks of their respective parties to hold the line. With a oneseat Democratic majority in the Senate and Republicans in narrow control of the House, a deal has so far proven elusive.

On Sunday, Zelensky and Japanesee PM Fumio Kishida visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

The perils of ceasing production

OVER the past few years, Guyana has experienced a significant transformation with the emergence of its oil industry. The newfound oil reserves in this South American nation have brought about unprecedented opportunities for economic growth, infrastructure development, and social progress.

However, there are growing concerns about the potential ramifications if oil production was to come to a halt. The discovery of substantial offshore oil reserves in Guyana has been a game-changer for the country's economy.

It has bestowed upon Guyana the potential to become a major oil-producing nation, thereby diversifying its economic base and reducing its dependence on traditional sectors such as

agriculture and mining.

Oil revenues have the power to bolster public finances, fund crucial social programmes, and bridge the gap in infrastructure development. This newfound wealth offers Guyana the opportunity to elevate its citizens' quality of life and lift them out of poverty.

One of the most significant advantages of oil production in Guyana lies in its ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Major global players in the oil and gas industry have recognised the immense potential of Guyana's reserves, and have been pouring in billions of dollars to explore and extract these resources.

The influx of FDI has not only created employment opportunities for the local population, but has

also fostered knowledge transfer and technological advancements. It has opened doors for the development of a skilled workforce and the growth of related sectors such as logistics, construction, and services.

Furthermore, oil production has the potential to address Guyana's long-standing infrastructural deficiencies. The revenue generated from oil exports can be channelled into building roads, schools, hospitals, and other vital public infrastructure.

Improved infrastructure not only enhances connectivity within the country but also attracts additional investment in various sectors, creating a multiplier effect on the economy. Moreover, with adequate infrastructure, Guyana can leverage

its geographical position to become a regional hub for trade and commerce.

However, it is essential to recognise the risks associated with a heavy reliance on oil production. Over-dependence on a single resource often leads to a vulnerability known as the "resource curse." The sudden influx of wealth can lead to economic imbalances, corruption, and an overemphasis on shortterm gains.

Cognisant of this, the government has been pursuing prudent policies, diversifying its economy, and investing in sectors such as education, healthcare, and renewable energy to mitigate the potential negative consequences of relying solely on oil.

Despite the need to diversify, ceasing oil produc-

tion abruptly would have severe implications for Guyana. A sudden stoppage would not only deprive the country of significant revenues but also leave many ongoing projects in limbo. International companies invested in exploration, extraction, and related services would withdraw, leading to widespread unemployment and a decline in economic activity.

The dreams of infrastructure development and social progress would be shattered, leaving the country grappling with the loss of opportunities it had worked so hard to secure.

To address the risks and uncertainties associated with oil production, it is imperative for Guyana to adopt a holistic approach.

The government has been focusing on investing

oil revenues wisely, creating robust institutions to ensure transparency and accountability, and diversifying the economy to reduce dependence on oil.

Simultaneously, it has prioritised sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and the development o f renewable energy sources to safeguard Guyana's natural resources and contribute to global efforts against climate change.

The oil production boom in Guyana has provided a rare window of opportunity for economic growth and development. It has the potential to uplift the lives of Guyanese citizens, develop critical infrastructure, and attract foreign investment.

Economic agenda of Jagdeo’s administration has proven Marriott was a feasible venture

Dear Editor, The Marriott Hotel Guyana, when it was conceived prior to 2011, was a bold vision of the Jagdeo administration as he understood the development his government was working towards and that in the new and developed Guyana he envisioned at the time, it would need world-class quality facilities to attract and accommodate investors and the tourists and to enhance the image of our country.

Such a vision was be-

yond any of the gambits of financial feasibility studies as this was part of a transformative economic agenda. Feasibility studies have tremendous limitations on transformative economic agendas as many of the underlying assumptions are unknown.

This Marriott project was written off by Glenn Lall as was highlighted in the below article of Peeping Tom Published in the Kaieteur News of March 9, 2012.

“Do we need the proposed Marriott-branded

hotel that the former government had in mind? Is such a project feasible given the many existing hotels and the poor occupancy that they enjoy at present?”

One person who feels most definitely that Guyana does not need this multi- billion-dollar facility that was supposed to be one of the major economic initiatives of the Jagdeo administration, is the former president’s fiercest critic, Mr. Glenn Lall, the publisher of Kaieteur News.

He is adamant that there is much wrong about this project. He insists that it is not viable and is willing to put his assets where his mouth is.

Glenn Lall made it known in no uncertain manner that he was willing to give away Kaieteur News if anyone could convince him that this hotel will be viable.

It is now May 2023 and the visionary transformative economic agenda of the Jagdeo administration has proven that the Marriott was a feasible venture

and a good economic investment. Glenn Lall, with the benefit of hindsight, has now switched position from arguing how bad of an investment Marriott was in 2012 to how good it is now in 2023 and that the Government should not dispose of their shares. If the Jagdeo administration had listened to the poor advice of Glenn Lall in 2012, there would have been no Marriott Hotel today.

The government is doing the right thing to dispose of Marriott Hotel at this time so they

can redirect capital and capabilities to other transformative projects. Government’s role is not to run businesses but instead to facilitate them.

The government intervened at the right time to make an investment in an area of development that was not attractive to private investors and now that the objective of the investment has been achieved it is the right time to dispose of the entity.

Regards, Alvin

Hamilton

I am back and will continue my class analysis

FROM today, I resume my newspaper column that I started since 1988; first with the Stabroek News. In these offerings, I will continue with what I have being doing since I started penning academic analyses after my graduation from UG in 1978, that is, to look at social phenomena using class analysis.

I had my introduction to class analysis when I was 16 years old after I worked in the Michael Forde Bookshop of the PPP at the bottom flat of Freedom House. There, I would read an immense amount of Marxist literature.

The emphasis on class structure in the analysis of social life has no substitute.

The world should be grateful to Karl Marx for his contribution to the employment of class analysis in understanding social life although he was not the first. In ancient Greek society, many philosophers had expounded

on class structure in understanding how society works.

While a student at UG, I was introduced to a school of professors who were influential in the study of society through class analysis, two of which stand out, Perry Mars (deceased) and Clive Thomas. It is with extreme sadness that I write about Professor Thomas’ abandonment of class analysis.

Today, in Guyana and especially since the five months of election rigging in 2020, there is a complete lack of class analysis in understanding Guyana and its critics. No one uses class analysis today and it is damaging to the accumulation of knowledge in this country.

The crystallization of class demands and class antagonism from the mulatto/Creole middle class (MCC) in Guyana since 2020 parallels British Guiana in the 1940s. I read an opinion by a well-known letter-writer in the newspapers

last week in which he titled his missive, “There are strange forces trying to stop Guyana’s oil development.”

There is nothing strange about life. According to the official philosopher of the Holy Roman Empire, Saint Aquinas, everything in life has an explanation. He is right. There are no strange forces in Guyana trying to remove the oil industry. There are class forces trying to remove both the government and the oil income.

What follows below are brief notes on this class force. An elaboration will be carried in the column tomorrow.

The MCC under European colonial rule in the entire group of West Indian islands was favoured by the colonial administration because of skin complexion, religion and adaptation of western culture.

In Guyana, this class encountered a problem what no other stratum had to cope with in the West Indies, not

Frederick Kissoon

even in Trinidad - the Indian indentured people. The Indians were shown incredible contempt and viewed as below civilisation. Even Critchlow argued against them being given the franchise.

A gargantuan resistance was put up by the MCC when Cheddi Jagan and others began to organise the Indians politically. The MCC was not so much concerned with the birth of the East Indian Association and the sugar industry union but it was Jagan and Indian political awakening that invoked paranoid thoughts among the MCC.

The MCC formed its own party under John Carter, a big shot lawyer, named the National Democratic Party (NDP). The League of Coloured People was the fulcrum on which the NDP rested. The MCC was not enarmoured with the birth of the PNC

under Burnham because that party had more dark-skinned Africans and organised among working class Africans.

The MCC saw in the PNC a natural ally for three reasons – the PNC had the numbers that the NDP lacked, the PNC membership was African after all so there was a natural tendency to dialogue with them, and thirdly, the MCC felt it could use the PNC in its quest to guillotine the PPP’s expansion thus preventing the growth of Indian political consciousness.

It should be noted that there was a congenital defect in the alliance between the MCC and Forbes Burnham. Burnham knew that MCC personalities were culturally contemptuous of dark-skinned Africans and also would manoeuvre the NDP into positions in the hierarchy of the PNC.

Burnham knew this because he saw how the MCC conspired to put its class members in the hierarchy of the PPP through the presence of Martin Carter, his brother Keith and Rory Westmas – all of mulatto extraction with natural embodiment of western culture.

A point never made in the historiography of Guyana is that although Burnham assigned Martin Carter a ministry in his post 1968 government, Burnham did not trust Carter, seeing him a stooge for western cultural traditions. Carter who professed to be a Stalinist in fact was the favourite politician of the colonial plutocracy and the colonial administration. To be continued tomorrow where I will take the analysis of the MCC right into 2023.

Five reasons the PPP/C will win big at the LGEs in June

Dear Editor Democracy may be more than elections, but free, fair, and regular elections must certainly be the most fundamental aspect of democratic governance. Without elections, the very thing we call citizenship will cease to exist in any meaningful way. The PPP/C has always put its faith in free and fair elections, and accordingly, no one should be surprised with its focus on educating, preparing, and mobilising the Guyanese people for the upcoming LGE next month. The PPP/C will win these elections for five specific reasons.

Firstly, PPP supporters are highly motivated, well organised, and are eager to contest these elections. They know that without elections they do not have a voice in governing the country. Readers need to know that in politics, party leaders and supporters communicate a great deal in the run-up to elections. During this time, the rank-and-file members

of the party get steady access to leaders who get to know thousands upon thousands of the people who not only vote but get others to do so. Look around Guyana and you will see the red force in action.

Secondly, the PPP has superb leadership at the top. Freedom House is a welloiled machine. It is built on brilliant strategic thinking, agile political maneuvers, and a ferocious tenacity to make party supporters central to what the party does and how it goes about putting ideas into action, and action into service.

President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo are not only gifted political minds, but also maximally pragmatic. Unlike the PNC, which is stuck in thinking from the 1960s, the PPP is made of the stuff of innovation. Mr. Norton has nothing to offer his own party, much less the Guyanese people. The WPA and AFC are born losers where elections at the LGE are concerned. Neither could even get a respectable list of

candidates.

The WPA by its own admission is leaderless. AFC leaders worry most about which one will be the favorite pet of the APNU. In the meantime, Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips is an astute field commander for the civic component of the PPP/C.

Thirdly, it can now be said with both confidence and data that the PPP has the most ethnically diverse list of candidates compared to any party list in the history of Guyana. The PPP struck a mighty step forward with new names on the list including former Mayor of Georgetown and APNU Councillor

Patricia Chase-Green, APNU Councillor Trichria Richards, and former Independent City Councillor for the Albouystown/Charlestown constituency, Malcolm Ferreira.

Nor should we forget that the PPP now has on board former National Cricketer and Businessman, Steven Jacobs, and national footballer, Jeremy Garrett, a former

Citizenship Initiative Executive. These are only the most high-profile names of prominent Afro-Guyanese who have joined the PPP ticket.

The PPP ticket is also deep with gender balance and with young candidates. These are historical strengths of the PPP/C. The current cabinet, for instance, has several young ministers who are making incisive contributions to the country. Charles Ramson Jr. and Susan Rodrigues obviously come to mind. The indefatigable Nigel Dharamlall and Collin Croal obviously come to mind as youngish party activists who made it all the way to cabinet ministers!

Fourthly, the record of the PPP/C really matters. Without a solid record of economic achievements, even the best of political parties cannot budge voters.

Remember James Carville’s – “It’s the economy stupid!” Despite every effort by development deniers in Guyana, many of whom hide behind the label “civil

society,” Guyana is moving forward.

It is important to acknowledge that while oil and gas are at the leading edge of the current economic transformation, the non-oil sectors, and particularly agriculture, are making great strides. GuySuCo CEO Mr. Sasenarine Singh is optimistic that the promised turn-around in sugar is well under way. GuySuCo is set to meet all its production targets. Recall that this is the same industry that the APNU+AFC worked hard to put out of business, with massive layoffs and blatant disrespect for workers.

Still on the economic front, it is imperative that we acknowledge the dramatic innovation in monetising our carbon sink capacity. The first ever REDD+-TREES agreement between Guyana and Hess Corporation is bold, brilliant, and unprecedented. Guyana is leading the way on climate change economics for developing countries.

Readers should also know that in addition to oil revenues, the Local Content legislation for the oil sector is allowing Guyanese employment and business opportunities that only years ago were the stuff of wishing thinking.

Fifth and finally, the PPP/C is an optimistic force in Guyana. When you listen to those from the PNC/R, WPA, and AFC, you cannot but help feel a sense of gloom and doom. These people are not only poor managers of the economy, but they are also steep in negativity that is almost ideological. They hope for failure because the rhetoric of doom and gloom is their basic language.

The PPP is on its way to a massive victory at the June LGE. It is quite likely that the crossover movement from the APNU+AFC to the PPP that began in small but steady steps will turn into a tidal wave.

Sincerely,

Dr. Randolph Persaud

How free is the World Press today?

Part 4: Free to make truth unbelievable!

FOR more than a decade, I’ve been getting two sets of Happy Birthday greetings in May – the first on May 9 and the second on the actual day.

Why? Because sometime, somehow, somewhere, someone provided the input for all machines attached to Facebook to eternally continue misleading the world about my birthday.

And it’s so very well believed by so many that when I tell some “May 9 is not my birthday”, they’d simply reply (very visibly disbelieving), “But it’s on Facebook…” or “It came up on my Google calendar!”

That undeniable and doubtless believability in Facebook, Google and the other search engines and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has always worried IT cavemen like me who’ve long seen it dangerously abused –and as a growing threat to global humanoids.

I’m not talking about the robots now frightening the likes of Elon Musk and the hundred or so other IT pioneers who recently signed a joint public statement warning it may soon be too late to regulate the machines.

Instead, I’m talking about the masked criminal-minded IT sharpshooters living off assassinating characters from a safe distance by knowingly spreading manufactured lies with telescopic accuracy.

Here’s my latest example…

A friend sent me a copy of a strange post earlier this week about a highly-reputable local business house, purporting to be ‘hot news’ from a reputable local online media house.

She was concerned because her family has owned shares in that business even before she was born. Something in my eyes found the copied post strange, because,

while it looked real, it lacked even the most basic elements of good reporting.

I’m not the best at judging IT things, but the inquiring mind in my commoner’s brain just kept ticking and tingling, telling me something was definitely not right – but I just couldn’t figure it out. Then it hit home!

My mind asked me: Why was this post from a media house photographed and shared this harder (copy and paste) way, instead of through one of those quicker and more popular light-blue lines called a ‘link’?

I went to the media house’s website and searched high and low for the original text suppos-

edly photographed, but to no avail; so, I asked three friends who basically live online to help – and they too couldn’t find it. My red light started flashing.

I did a little digging and within minutes, I was able to confirm my suspicion: FAKE NEWS! Indeed, the media house quoted by name NEVER carried the post being circulated in its name.

That post was just a pure and simple, but very dangerous fabrication aimed at creating panic among the business shareholders – nothing more, nothing less.

So then, the big question: How is it possible for something so boldfaced like this to happen with impunity?

Under normal circumstances, it would be illegal to knowingly fabricate and deliberately spread disinformation injurious to the health and well-being of a person.

Likewise, any company that can prove it’s been a victim of such conspiratorial and devious actions has the right to take legal action against the perpetrator.

But then, the internet is not normally normal, balanced, or equitably accessible – and such faceless perpetrators do get away with impunity by hiding behind the virtual masks provided by the self-governing ISPs.

Just like every gallon of gas is measured at the pump, every internet post is registered on a ‘device’ and embedded

in a ‘cloud’ and fully accessible to by the service provider, so it’s more of a matter of their will to protect persons and/ or entities deliberately defamed, through their channels.

I’ve heard ISPs argue that both accused and victims are their clients and they need to protect one from the other, but, as in this case, this is neither a reason nor an excuse, as it also provides a permanent Open Sesame season for those up to no good sons-ofa-gun to damage and destroy others’ characters to the max – and getaway scot-free.

Just as it cannot be right for the internet to be so powerful as to make people want to suggest I don’t know my birthday, it can’t be right either for anyone to have a right to so brazenly and calculatedly abuse the guaranteed protection of service providers to engage in such malicious and detrimental online behaviour.

Press freedom is one thing, but abuse of those freedoms should be unpardonable because of the ease with which one post can solve many problems, but another can so easily take a life, or start a war.

Interestingly, in the early 1990s when the internet started to spread through the world-wideweb (www), most Caribbean concern was about the ease with which children (already acknowledged like having mi -

crochips in their blood) would have been able to access ‘porn’ (pornography) online, leading to the introduction of failsafe parental guidance measures that never really worked.

Three decades later, grandchildren are home IT advisors; some able to hack Pentagon websites, others able to develop new apps (applications) that quickly help solve old problems, while a handful of IT savvy adults use their fortunate access to the luxury of internet life and times to assassinate characters and destroy lives, whether through spiteful vengeance, or just for fun.

As I’ve always held and said, in this the supposed Age of The Internet of Things, IT is the latest potent weapon that just keeps evolving faster than the majority of humankind can keep up with and the capacity for abuse is so real and deadly, yet invisible.

Like a knife, IT can be used to spread butter or stab a wound; and like a gun, it can be used to defend or attack, protect and secure or harm and kill.

And while it cannot be kept out of the hands of the wrong people, the wrong they do with IT should not be automatically forever forgiven, supposedly in the name of protection, especially when used to plan and knowingly cause harm to others.

Thoroughfares can’t be developed if encumbrances remain - Public

Works Minister

MINISTER of Public

Works Juan Edghill has said that while the government wants to encourage and improve economic activity across the country, the development of roadways cannot happen if there are congestion and encumbrances.

The minister made these remarks at the recent launch of a loan programme that will rehabilitate a section of the East Bank Demerara Highway.

It was then that he noted that, across the country where development is taking place, there must be co-operation with the relevant agencies and stakeholders for it to be done successfully.

Against this backdrop, he added, “This is not a good time for people to start planting a new caravan on the side of the road; we can’t develop these

thoroughfares if congestion and encumbrances continue.”

According to the Public Works Minister, it is almost impractical for people to do this even as he indicated that the government is by no means seeking to reduce economic activity.

This government, he said, has made it clear that it wants to encourage, multiply and improve economic activity across the country. And according to Edghill, this can be seen in many initiatives like those through the Small Business Bureau, and the SLED grants being distributed to help small businesses.

“But we can't have everybody at the edge of a road in a construction path at a main entrance to ease traffic congestion putting up something because they would like to sell,” he said.

However, he went on to add that the government is prepared to work with all persons to ensure that they can ply their trade but, in a manner where law and order is restored as he noted that one person's negligence can bring inconvenience to many others.

The Public Works Minister reiterated that the administration is by no means shutting down economic activity and added, “People must appreciate the development means also a mature thinking and a productive way of doing things.”

Last week, the ministry moved vendors with illegal structures along the Providence Access Road.

The ministry had noted that notices were issued to all vendors at that location in November of last year with a six-week grace period to vacate.

It was further noted that final notices were also served to

vendors on the Road Reserve at Mocha Access Road; Herstelling/ Farm Housing Scheme access road; Diamond Public Road; Sheriff Street; Mandela Avenue and Grove through to Timehri along the East Bank Demerara.

Guyana recently secured a US$117 million loan which is expected to be used to improve a section of the East Bank Demerara corridor.

The loan, of which some US$100 million will be provided by the Inter-American

Development Bank (IDB) and US$17 million by the Government of Guyana, will

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill

see a 23.5-kilometre stretch from Good Success to Timehri being rehabilitated.

Drainage works to begin soon in Manchester, Number 53 Village

DRAINAGE works are expected to commence soon in Manchester and Number 53 Village in Region Six, according to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.

According to a Ministry of Agriculture press release, the minister visited several villages along the Corentyne Coast on Saturday and engaged residents

on some of the issues faced in the communities. He was accompanied by a team of officials from the ministry and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and several PPP/C constituency representatives.

The visit was a result of some of the issues that were raised when he was in New Amsterdam with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali a

few days ago.

“I committed to coming today to see firsthand what were some of the issues and how we can resolve them. The main issues raised were drainage and improved access within their communities. So, as early as next week in Manchester, we’ll start desilting the internal drains. There is also a major canal at the

back of that village that we’ll do work on. I’ve asked the engineer to send a machine by Monday to start those works,” Minster Mustapha was quoted in the release as saying.

The release added that as it relates to Number 53 Village, Minister Mustapha said that the ministry is also scheduled to commence works to upgrade the drainage infrastructure.

“In Number 53 Village, there are some drainage issues that we’ll tackle immediately. We’ll construct some culverts and so on because we engaged the residents and these were the requests they made. We are committed to working

with everyone and it is clear that Guyanese want development. They are seeing that this government is all about development and given the response and the welcome received I know that we have the support,” the minister added.

One resident from Manchester Village told the minister that there are many young people in the community in need of jobs who are interested in agriculture.

According to the ministry, Minister Mustapha explained that there were opportunities in agriculture for youths and that he would soon be launching the president’s Agricul -

ture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AEIP) in the area.

“I’ll also be coming back to Manchester soon because a resident indicated that a number of youths want to get involved in agriculture cult ivating high-value crops. You know the president established that programme and said that we will replicate it nationwide. So, I’ll work with the community to identify the youths and soon we’ll be back to launch that programme in the Manchester/Lancaster/ Liverpool area,” he said, according to the release.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha engaging a resident from Number 53 Village

Minister Mustapha listens to the concerns of two seniors (Ministry of Agriculture photos)

Residents of Manchester were assured that their drainage issues will be fixed

The inaugural Sophia Community Awards for Service and Excellence was held on Saturday night. Ministers of the Government, Kwame McCoy, Oneidge Walrond and Dr Vindhya Persaud attended the event.

$2.7 billion allocated for pump stations, sluices in several communities

THE Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has officially opened bids for the construction of pump stations in the communities of Meten-Meer-Zorg, Bell Vue, and Pouderoyen in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), as well as Jimbo Grove on the East Bank of Demerara.

Moreover, the Bell Vue and Pouderoyen communities on the West Bank Demerara will also benefit from sluices.

The engineer has estimated that the pump station at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, will be $918,231,387; $945,179,772 for the Pouderoyen Area, West Bank Demerara and $865,182,752 for Jimbo, Grove on the East Bank Demerara.

Bids for the projects are

to be submitted no later than June 13, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB)

Procedures specified in the Procurement Act 2003. Additionally, according to the Invitation for Bids (IFB), bidding documents can be uplifted from the NDIA for a non-refundable fee of $3,000.

Pumps serve as a means to remove excess water from the land, and they are particularly important during the rainy seasons when there are heavy downpours.

Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved

a $6 billion budgetary provision for irrigation and drainage. The allocation of $4.3 billion, according to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, is a rollover amount that will enable the ongoing installation of 12 pumps.

The Ministry of Agriculture is aiming to set up eight new drainage pumps this year, all around the nation.

The minister had said: “We have here, maintenance of drainage and irrigation projects across the country… we would have purchased a number of pumps and we are now doing a number of sluices to complement those pumps.”

He added, “Last year, we started the construction of 12 pumps. $4.3 billion is allocated to these projects, because these projects are roll-over projects. This year, we will build another eight additional pumps… for the

first time in history we will build pump stations on the East Bank of Demerara. We never had pump stations there before.”

Mustapha had also mentioned that the NDIA will be constructing farm-to-market roads and performing embankment work in a number of areas.

“We had thousands of acres of land in the Pomeroon that we will be empoldering so that we can resolve the issue of flooding… we will do farm-to-market roads in a number of areas, places like Victoria, Buxton, Letter Kenny Onderneeming, to name a few areas.”

Furthermore, $104 million will be given for construction of a new dam and mangrove restoration projects in Region 5, both of which are intended to provide flood relief for the communities.

Drainage project completed in Mahdia by MOM team

Mr Ramphal donated the materials for the project, and the welding was done by Guyana Defence Force

(GDF) Corporal Hicken. As a result of that project, all stakeholders committed to work on future MOM projects in the region.

THE Men on Mission (MOM) Committee in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), on Sunday, installed two steel drainer grills in the main drainers

in Central Mahdia to prevent plastic bags, plastic bottles, papers and other waste materials from flowing into the bottleneck and canals which could block

the flow of water and cause serious health issues.

Present at that activity were the Mayor of Mahdia, Mr David Adams; Police Commander, Khalid Man -

dall; Deputy REO, Mr Lewis Kilkenny; Vice Chairman for the MOM Committee, Mr Davo Ramphal; Subordinate Officer-in-Charge of Mahdia Police Station,

Sergeant Clarke and other ranks.

Region Three ‘cops’ join clean-up exercise

Commander for Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Siwnarine and his ranks on Saturday participated in the National Enhancement Exercise by cleaning up the area in and around the Leonora Police Station on the West Coast Demerara.

First ever EU bicycle tour of Georgetown organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana hailed a success!

Bids open for completion of Mabaruma Police HQ

IN an effort to bring justice to all parts of Guyana, the Ministry of Home Affairs has officially opened bids for the completion of the Police divisional headquarters in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) and the rehabilitation of the administration building of Berbice’s Felix Austin Police College (FAPC).

According to the Invitation for Bids (IFB) published by several online and print media platforms, reputable bidders are being sought for the projects.

Bids for the projects are

to be submitted no later than June 8, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) Procedures specified in the Procurement Act 2003.

Moreover, bidding documents can be uplifted from the Finance Department of the Home Affairs Ministry for a non-refundable fee of $3,000.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) was allotted a whopping $3.185 billion in the

2023 budget. This budget catered for provision of police stations, regional command centres, living quarters and transportation and equipment.

Meanwhile, in April, the ministry opened bids to rebuild the Brickdam Police Station.

The Brickdam Police Station, which housed the Guyana Police Force’s Regional Division 4 ‘A’ Headquarters, went up in flames on October 2, 2021. More than 80 per cent of the structures in the compound were destroyed.

The Home Affairs Minis-

Teen murders cousin for insulting uncle

POLICE are probing the murder of 35-yearold fisherman, Seeram Krishna, called ‘Vicky’ of Conservancy Dam, Canal #1, West Bank Demerara.

According to a Police press release, the murder occurred around 18:30 hours on Saturday at Conservancy Dam, Canal #1.

The suspect, who is currently in Police custody, is a 19-year-old labourer. According to the release, the suspect and the victim are cousins and neighbours.

At about 10:00 hours on Saturday, Krishna and the suspect's father, a 59-year-old vendor, start-

ed to drink 'Extra White rum' at the suspect's residence. The suspect arrived home from work at 11:00 hours, and Krishna and the suspect headed to the Conservancy Dam to continue drinking with friends.

“At about 17:30 hours, the suspect's father joined them, and the suspect started to insult his father. His father went away, at which point Krishna told the suspect he shouldn't have insulted his father. The suspect and the victim ended up in a heated argument, and Krishna slapped the suspect, leading to a scuffle. The suspect ran to his home and returned

with a cutlass, rushed up to Krishna and chopped him to the left-side face. Krishna collapsed, and the suspect escaped.

A report was made to La Grange Police Station, and ranks responded to the scene. Krishna was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The body was then taken to Ezekiel Funeral Parlour and is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

The suspect, who went into hiding, subsequently surrendered to the Police. He remains in custody and is assisting with the ongoing investigation.

ter, Robeson Benn, had provided a detailed breakdown including the unit cost, total cost and quantities of all 79 items that were listed as destroyed as a result of the fire.

The total damages amounted to $104,391,200 with the highest cost being $10.75 million for 43 complete computer sets.

Among the other items destroyed were closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems valued $2.4 million; handcuffs valued $1.56 million; laptop computers amounting

to $5 million; body cameras valued $2.5 million and some $7.2 million for copy machines. Also listed as destroyed are 30 air conditioning units valued at $9.6 million; 228 office chairs valued $6.48 million; $2.1 million in video surveillance systems and a $4.5 million

minibus. Minister Benn had announced, in December 2021, that a modern 11-storey police station will be constructed at the location. A $400 million allocation for this project was included in the 2022 National Budget.

‘Cops’ meet with Region Two truck drivers

Police ranks of Region Two (Pomeroon-Sup enaam) met with several truck drivers at Onderneeming Sandpit on Saturday.

Sergeant Roberts, Sergeant Ramkissoon

and other ranks of the Traffic Department discussed several traffic-related issues with the drivers including driving within the speed limit; faulty packing and

offloading of sand, stone and other materials, which must be appropriately covered; rules of the road; defensive driving and maintenance of vehicles.

Police ranks in Berbice complete ‘Train the Trainers’ programme on gender-based violence

TEN Police ranks from Regional Division #6 participated in a four-day 'Train the Trainers' workshop in Berbice on gender-based violence last week.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security hosted the workshop under the Spotlight Initiative Guyana and the United Nations Women Foundation programme.

The training session was conducted from 15th -18th May 2023 and targetted members of the community to use their skills learned to implement the UN Women Foundations Programme within communities, schools, religious organisations and other group settings.

This training session was facilitated by Adel Lilly and other members of the min -

istry's Gender Affairs Bureau. Among the diverse groups from various governmental

and non-profit organisations around Region Six were 10 Police officers representing

Man found dead on roadside after attending wedding

POLICE are investigating the alleged murder of 41-year-old construction worker, Choorandan Chaitram, called 'Reid,’ of Lot 101 Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

According to a Police press release, the murder took place at Lusignan Grass Field on East Coast Demerara between 21:00 hours on Saturday and 02:30 hours on Sunday.

Enquiries further unveiled that Chaitram left home at about

16:00 hours on Saturday to attend a wedding at Lusignan Grass Field. At about 03:50 hours on Sunday, Police ranks responded to a 911 call that a body of a male was seen lying on the Lusignan access road.

“When Police arrived at the scene, they saw the body lying on the road, about two streets from the wedding, in a pool of what appeared to be blood. His body was examined, and a wound

about three inches was seen on his throat,” the Police release noted.

Moreover, the scene was processed, photographed, and the body was escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination. Chaitram's body was identified by his brother.

Several individuals were questioned, and certain information was received, the Police noted.

different departments, including CID, Traffic and General Duty. On the final day of

the training, participants were presented with certificates, which they received

from the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud.

Ten Police ranks received certificates at the end of the training

American Racing Tips

Finger Lakes Race 1 Never Early Race 2 Pot Of Hold

Race 3 Father Walsh

Race 4 Timed Out Race 5 Akela

Race 6 Princess Sonya

Race 7 No Chalk

South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville 08:05 hrs

Green, Madhwal help Mumbai finish fourth

(ESPNCRICINFO)Mumbai Indians did what was asked of them quite emphatically, to win the game and move to fourth. And then after nearly five hours of waiting, had their playoff spot confirmed following Gujarat Titans' win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru.

Having chased down 201 courtesy a 47-ball 100 not out from Cameron Green, Mumbai needed RCB to lose their fixture, and that's what happened in the end. Having got to 16 points, they now face Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator on May 24.

Victory at one stage seemed far-fetched for

Mumbai when Sunrisers openers Mayank Agarwal and Vivrant Sharma blasted an opening stand of 140 in just 13.5 overs. Then Mumbai hit back in the death overs to take the momentum with them; Sunrisers managed just 32 off their last four overs. It seemed as if the slowdown at the time would prove costly, but the manner of Mumbai's chase made it amply clear that even another 20 runs would perhaps not have made any difference.

Only just briefly in their defence, Sunrisers had it under control when Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Ishan Kishan early with the first three overs going for just 24. The turning

point came in the fifth over when Rohit Sharma was reprieved on 12 by Sanvir Singh. He made them pay along with Green.

The Mayank-Vivrant show

But long before the carnage that the majority of the strong 30,000 crowd anticipated, Agarwal and Vivrant overcame a slow start to set the game up. Vivrant ended the powerplay with two bludgeoning hits down the ground off Piyush Chawla to go from 10 off 16 to 27 off 24.

The slow start wasn't due to lack of trying, though. It was possibly a case of nerves and some good shots finding the fielders. He soon brought

up his half-century off just 36 deliveries.

Agarwal said 'I'm in too' as he galloped to his half-century by hitting

Jason Behrendorff superbly inside-out over cover for six and scything the follow-up wide yorker behind point. His

half-century was up off just 32 balls. Now, Sunrisers were beginning to get into overdrive.

Gill century breaks RCB hearts

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Shubman Gill broke tens of thousands of hearts by responding to Virat Kohli's second hundred in two matches with a double of his own as Gujarat Titans chased down 198 to knock Royal Challengers Bangalore out and give Mumbai Indians a passage into the playoffs.

It was hard not to see this as a symbolic passing of the

baton in the larger context of the Indian batting kingdom. Gill took eight balls fewer than Kohli to get to the hundred, hit seven more sixes, but Kohli's circumstance was different. He had wickets falling around him whereas Vijay Shankar -- Gill's partner for the second-wicket stand of 123 -- enjoyed much more luck than RCB batters did. In fact, Titans scored 45 runs in false responses, more

than any innings in this IPL.

Ink boys get going

It was a long, agonising night for the Bengaluru hopefuls as thunderstorms and intermittent drizzle pushed the start of the match

67-run stand. They took even Mohammed Shami for runs and denied him a powerplay wicket. First job done.

Titans own middle overs

There was some luck involved in the first wicket. It was a skilful wrong'un from Noor Ahmad that dipped on du Plessis, but the thick outside edge was never going to be caught except in freakish circumstances. It happened as the ball hit Wriddhiman Saha's pad and lobbed for

an easy catch at slip. At least Titans had the slip in place despite that start.

Poignantly for the RCB fans, the partnership ended at a season aggregate of 939, the same that Kohli and AB de Villiers scored together in 2016.

Rashid Khan then burst through the opening, bowling Glenn Maxwell with a wrong'un, taking away the purple cap from Shami, who duly returned to

end a cameo from Michael Bracewell and reclaim the purple cap. Between the two wickets, Saha showed real skill to stump Mahipal Lomror down the leg side. When Yash Dayal marked his comeback with a golden duck for Dinesh Karthikhis 17th duck in all IPL, a record - RCB were 133 for 5 in 14.2, and face to face with their lack of big hitters down the order.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday May 22, 2023)

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

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Dwayne Bravo-26 wickets (CSK)

(2) Ashish Nehra-4/12 (CSK vs RCB)

Today’s Quiz:

right to the brink of the point where you start losing overs. RCB then lost the toss, and were put in. To brighten up their evening, Kohli and Faf du Plessis continued their opening domination with a

(1) Which wicketkeeper effected the most dismissals in IPL 2015?

(2) What was the highest partnership recorded in IPL 2015?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Shubman Gill brought up the win and his back-to-back IPL tons with a six • Associated Press

Akash Madhwal nailed his yorkers at the death•BCCI

EDFA Namilco ‘Flour Power’ under-17 tourney…

Unbeaten Buxton, Haslington top points standings

Richardson also got on the scoresheet with a brace in the 14th and 42nd minutes. Kennard Halley scored for the consolation for Victoria Kings in the 29th minute.

Last Tuesday, Haslington completed a good comefrom-behind 2-1 win against Beterverwagting (BV)/Triumph. Jaden Harris gave BV the shortlived lead in the 25th minute before Akin Baynes equalised in the 29th to set up Delray Benjamin’s winner in the 53rd minute.

Sheltez Youth Tennis tournament

Persaud (Girls), Scotland (Boys) win U-18 titles

FOLLOWING three rounds of exciting football in the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) Namilco ‘Flour Power’ under-17 football tournament, Buxton United FC and Haslington FC are joint top of the points table with six points each and identical goal difference.

Both teams had the opportunity to extend their good run of form yesterday, but the inclement weather did

not allow for play to continue at the Buxton Community Centre ground that hosted the previous two match days.

On Saturday, Ann's Grove FC played to a goalless draw against Melanie in the first clash of a double header, while Dynamics FC made light work of Victoria Kings 5-1 in the feature encounter.

Ryan Wharton led the charge for Dynamics with a hat-trick (18th, 38th & 43rd minutes), while Kelvin

On that same match day, it was like deja vu as Buxton Stars registered a similar come-from-behind 2-1 win in the match against Victoria Kings. All three goals came in the second half with Alex Mario giving the losers the lead in the 48th minute before Compton Hope (50th minute) and Deshawn McPherson (68th minute) scored to win it for Buxton at home.

THE U-18s category of the Sheltez Tennis Club tournament concluded yesterday at the Le Ressouvenir Club on the East Coast of Demerara.

In the girls category, Renola Jordan won against Saskia Persaud 2/6 6/3 (10/6) in a closely contested match.

Saskia took the lead early in the first set and managed to stay ahead in games, but Renola fought for every point with most games ending at 40/40.

Saskia maintained her focus and won the first set comfortably.

The second set started

off with both players winning their service games, at 2/3 Renola broke Saskia's serve and held on to 5/2.

Persaud held serve again before Renola closed out the second set 6/3.

The deciding set was played using a super tiebreak game (10 points). Both players played aggressive tennis and started using more tactics, moving each other more on the court. At 6/6 Jordan took advantage of the short balls and played with more intent to end the match 6/2 3/6 (10/6).

In the boys categories, top junior Gerald Scotland won against club member

Denzil Luther.

Denzil took the lead in the first set and went up 4/1. He played aggressively and had Gerald on the defensive side most times. Scott settled in afterwards, took control of the games and won five straight games to win the first 6/4.

The second set had a similar start with both players showcasing powerful ground strokes and attacking the net at every opportunity they got. At 5/5, Scotland broke Luther's serve and served out the match to claim his first U18s Sheltez title 6/4 7/5 (Sean Devers)

Aliyah Abrams to Headline 2023 AP Invitational

THE fifth fastest woman in the world this year in the 400m, Aliyah Abrams, will headline the acclaimed Aliann Pompey Invitation set for June 24 at the National Track and Field Centre in Edinburg.

“It means a lot, and it’s important to me because I haven’t competed in Guyana in a few years, so I’m excited to be going back and competing in front of family and supporters,” Abrams said when asked about competing at home for the first time since the 2021 National Senior Championships.

“The API brings together elite athletes and performances while getting to showcase what Guyana has to offer. It also allows track and field fans in the country to witness the sport

live and direct. It is important to show the world that we are capable of putting on a high-calibre meet that can attract worldclass talent,” Abrams said.

Abrams is having a sensational season with the former University of South Carolina stand-out athlete resetting Guyana’s 400m record at the NACAC New Life Invitational in The Bahamas.

With a remarkable time of 50.20s, Abrams broke Pompey's 14-year-old national record on her way to topping an extraordinary field that included Charokee Young, Roxana Gomez, Stacey-Ann Williams and Sada Williams, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and World Championship Bronze Medallist.

Abrams said she had “a sense of fulfilment” when she crossed the line on May 13 to replace Aliann’s 2009 time of 50.71s, proclaiming “the record was a long-standing goal of mine and after years of seeming to get close but not quite there, I didn’t focus on the time, I was just running to compete, so that being the result was impressive.”

Her time places her in the top five in the world this year, with only Britton Wilson (49.13s), Gabrielle Thomas (49.68s), Rhasidat Adeleke (49.90s) and Stacy-Ann Williams (50.12s) running faster than Abrams in the 400m.

Already qualifying for the World Athletics 2023 World Championships in Track and

Field, Abrams said one of her goals this season is to be a finali st at the event set for August 19 – 27 in Budapest, Hungary, while also “dipping under 50s.”

Meanwhile, Pompey, highlighting her reason for choosing Abrams to join the likes of Kim Collins and Kirani James on the list of athletes to headline her much-celebrated meet, noted, “Aliyah is having a great year. She’s the fifth fastest woman in the world this year, our new 400m national record holder, all this with both World Championships and Olympics on the near horizon.”

According to Pompey, “One of the recurring themes of the competition this year is

legacy. When the competition started, the goal was to bring the best of the world here to Guyana to compete against our best athletes. Aliyah has catapulted us, and Guyana’s best is also one of the world’s best.”

Pompey, Guyana’s Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, saw her fifth edition of the AP Invitational, like most sports events in 2020, cancelled because of COVID-19.

The Olympian made several attempts to host the championships, but in 2022 she was curtailed by several challenges, including relaying of the track at the country’s lone synthetic facility.

In February 2020, the AP Invitational was announced

by World Athletics as part of its structured World Athletics Continental Tour.

World Athletics had stated that the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.

At the 2018 AP Invitational, Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic Champion and 2016 Olympic silver medallist, clocked 44.99 seconds to win the ‘AP’ Invitational 400m and set a new track record.

The AP Invitational, which ran off its inaugural event in 2016, saw 11 athletes, all from overseas, move on to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio.

Buxton United players Deshawn McPherson (left) and Compton Hope

Points table

Gerald Scotland (L) beat Denzil Luther in the Boys U-18 final

Renola Jordon (L) beat Saskia Persaud in the Girls final

ExxonMobil U-14 Girls and boys football tournament …

Waramuri girls, East Ruimveldt boys score big wins

THE 2023 edition of the ExxonMobil U14 boys and girls schools football tournament got underway yesterday in Gerogetown with big wins for Waramuri Girls and East Ruimveldt Boys

Opened by ExxonMobil officials as well as members of the organizing team, Petra organization and GFF president Wayne Forde, the tournament showed no shortage of goals from the first whistle

See Full results below

GIRLS

President College 0 Vs New Central 0

Westminster4 vs West Ruimveldt 0

Goal Scorers

Stacy Jones 9, 11

Reinsean Bowen 30

Odenica Bishop 39

East Ruimveldt 1 vs New Amsterdam 0

Goal Scorer

Jamacy Reid 5

Bartica 1 vs Marion Academy 0

Goal Scorer

Zalina Jones 32

Charlestown vs St Cuthbert’s (Charlestown Won via Walk Over)

Waramuri Top 13 vs Vergenoegen 0

Goal Scorers Waramuri

Allia Henry 1,39

Mnemosyne Peters 4,9

Mechelle Williams 6,11,13,18,30,38

Brenita Marks 37

Jada La Cruz 34,40

Anns Grove vs Dora (Anns Grove won by walk over)

Tucville 11 Vs Cummings Lodge 0

Goal Scorer Tucville

Cearra Glasglow 2,12,7,17

Akiesha Isaacs 10

Kaira Boyle 22,32,37

Shania Callender 26, 29

Shania Waldron 36

St Stanislaus vs New Campbellville (st Stanislaus won via walk over)

Institute Of Academic Excellence

2 Vs Mckenzie High 0

Goal Scorer

Tamara Chanie 31,35

BOYS

Patentia 1 vs Annandale 2

Goal Scorers

Annandale

Sherwin 13

Patentia

Kemraj Hemmauth 7

Malachi Sertima Own Goal

Charlestown 2 vs Bush Lot 1

Charlestown

Dilshawn Alleyne 12

Adriel Hamilton 52

Bush Lot

Ronaldo Roberts 6

New Central High 4 vs St Cuthbert’s 1

Goal Scorers

New Central High

Peter Khan 2, 4

Trevor Gordon 13, 14

St Cuthbert

Rawle 40

Westminster 2 vs Charity 0

Goal Scorers

Micheal Singh 4,37

Fort Wellington 1 vs West Ruimveldt 0

Goal Scorers

Reiven Vannooten 7

Bartica Secondary 3 vs New

Amsterdam Secondary 0

Goal Scorers

Riley Tracey 22,34

Joshua Joseph 36

East Ruimveldt 8 vs Hope Sec

Goal Scorers

Jayden Abrahams 9,11

Jaheim Herbert 4

Dennis Fowler 13

Gary Primo 18

Quason Maynard 30

Torrel Bobsemple 34

Jeremiah Lowe 36

Mckenzie High 2 vs ChristChurch 2

Goal Scorers

Mckenzie High School

Kemmany Mckenzie 7

Roscoe Anderson 9

Emmanuel Fraser Own Goal

ChristChurch

Jayden Liverpool 28

Marian Academy 2 vs St Stanislaus 1

Goal Scorers

Marian Academy

Nyhl George 41, Kristian Viapree 44

St Stanislaus

Clint Bynoe 30

Christianburg Wismar Secondary vs Canjie

(Christianburg Wismar Secondary won via walk over)

Waramuri 7 vs Institute of Academic Excellence 0

Goal Scorers

Dwayne Boya 18, 30

Kwall Harris 47

Ricardo Lewis 16

Shakeel Marks 9, 12, 29

Vergenoegen 3 vs Carmel 0

Goal Scorers

Vergenoegen

Elvis Grant 10

Devon Williams 23, 28

Cummings Lodge 1 vs President’s College 1

Goal Scorers

Cummings Lodge

Malachi Bailey 23

President’s College

Daniel Alexander 9

Chase Academy 1 vs Dora 0

Goal Scorer

Darius Chester 6

North Ruimveldt 1 vs Ann’s Grove 1

Goal Scorer

North Ruimveldt

Luke Aroakium 14

Ann’s Grove

Selwyn Fraser 33

Dolphin 2 vs Queenstown 1

Goal Scorers

Dolphin

Kellon Alleyne 20

Kevin Bunton 24

Queenstown

Damar Simpson 30

Rumina Construction supports GRFU under-19 team

THE Guyana Rugby Football Union ( GRFU ) received a timely boost on Saturday afternoon, after Franklyn Victor through Rumina Construction pledged his support to the under - 19 team ’ s funding towards their trip to Jamaica for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) 15s tourney

The finances are needed to offset ticket prices, accommodation and meals The tournament will run from July 16th to 17th at the University of the West Indies’ Mona Campus

There will be a total of 26 players and four officials in the travel contingent Victor, a Guyanese who

didnt represent the Green Machine in his playing days, but the BVI, shared that he is a big supporter of Guyana’s rugby and is always willing to help the GRFU in anyway that he can He wished the team success in the upcoming tournament and asked them to represent the Golden Arrowhead well

Troy Yhip ; the treasurer of the GRFU , expressed his gratitude to Franklyn and mentioned that, “Franklyn Victor has been very supportive of Guyana’s rugby throughout the years and it was no surprise that he offered to assist the team in their trip to Jamaica . We are very grateful.”

The Waramuri girls. From left - Allia Henry(2),Mnemosyne Peters(2),Mechelle Williams(6),Brenita Marks(1), Jada Lacruz(2)

Troy Yhip (centre left) receives the sponsorship cheque from Franklyn Victor

South America under-20 Championships

Gold for Newton, bronze for Springer in 200m finals

FOLLOWING his bronze-medal finish in the men’s 100m, Ezekiel Newton doubled his medal haul at the 2023 South America under-20 championships with a blistering gold-medal run in the 200m final.

Newton, who won in a personal best (PB) time of 20.96 seconds , became the second Guyanese ever to win gold at the event at the South American Championships

Meanwhile, Tianna Springer, as expected,

finished third in the women’s 200m final to go along with her gold medal in the women’s 400m final Springer registered a PB of 23.72 seconds in the 200m, lowering her previous PB by four-tenths of a second, which she registered in the heat

Guyana was represented by a team of 10 – seven athletes and three officials at the 2023 South American under-20 championships that was hosted in Bogota, Colombia.

Barbadian Phillip Clarke wins NSC Independence Three-Stage Cycling

BARBADIAN Phillip Clarke took home the top honours at the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) 40th Independence Three-Stage Cycling Road Race on Sunday.

Clarke, riding for a Trinidad club, accumulated 35 points to edge Guyana’s Romello Crawford and Curtis Dey, who tied for 34 points.

Robin Persaud ( 27 points ), Alexander Leung (17 points), Emmanuel Gayral (11 points) and Jorryn Simpson (11 points) rounded off the top positions

The overall winner got G$150,000, second G$110,000, third G$80,000, fourth G$60,000, fifth G$50,000 and sixth G$35,000 Persaud won the final stage, 65 miles, from Linden to Homestretch Avenue, in a time of two hours, 50 minutes and 11 seconds (2:50.11s), and also copped the top prize for the veterans (40-45).

Leung was the top junior while Sidwell Sandy did it for the Juveniles and Cliveica Spencer retained her title.

Ian Jackson was the top veteran (over 45).

In the earlier stages, Crawford, who rode

without a team, won the opening leg in one hour, 48 minutes, and 27 seconds (1:48.27s).

The 40-mile race was from Corriverton to New Amsterdam

Team Evolution’s Dey got second, Gayral from Antigua and Barbuda got third , and Clarke, fourth

For the juniors, the talented Leung got the top spot followed by Aaron Newton and Jair Norton, while Sandy and Torell Noel were the top two Juveniles.

Likewise, Spencer and Tandeia Noel were the top two ladies

In the veterans category (40-45), Kwame Ridely (first), Persaud (second), and Alex Mendes (third) were the top three, while in the veterans (45 and over): Clarke (first), Paul Choowenam (second), Ian Jackson (third)

The second stage , from the Berbice Bridge to Carifesta Avenue, and only the seniors and veterans were required to do the entire course, as the juveniles and women started at the halfway tree

Following the veteran rider, Clarke, at the line was Dey and Simpson of Suriname and Crawford in fourth

Ezekiel Newton poses next to scoreboard

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle (far left) along with the top finishes of the Independence Three-Stage Cycle Road Race The overall winner was Barbadian Phillip Clarke (fourth from left)