Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 22-12-2020

TUESDAY 22nd December, 2020

' No.106221

US$4M market

in northern Brazil to be unlocked

–– with operationalisation of Bon Success Industrial Park in Lethem SEE PAGE 03

COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force this week PAGE

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113 boys

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sexually abused

Major clean-up in Albouystown

SEE PAGE 05

A few of the young men from Albouystown, Georgetown, who were employed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, cleaning and desilting a drain in James Street (Delano Williams photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

US$4M market in northern Brazil to be unlocked

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–– with operationalisation of Bon Success Industrial Park in Lethem

By Navendra Seoraj THE edge of the border between Guyana and Brazil, Region Nine, has served as conduit for trade and commerce between the two countries, but, for the business people on Guyana’s side, the benefits have been residual because adequate infrastructure such as an industrial park, which will soon be operationalised, was absent for many years.

Brazil has been hailed as an “economic powerhouse” for years, with commercial and other economic activities thriving in all corners of the country. And, for business people in Region Nine, this country is basically a goldmine of opportunities.

Immediately in the northern part of Brazil, closer to Guyana, is a market, valuing over US$4 million, which Guyanese have only been able to ‘pinch’ and ‘admire’ because of infrastructural deficiencies. But, the Industrial Park at Bon Success, Lethem, presents investors with the opportunity to access this and other major markets through value-added initiatives.

An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. It can be thought of as a more “heavyweight” version of a business park or office park, which has offices and light industry, rather than heavy industry.

The 80-acre plot of land was identified in 2014 with development slated to be completed in three phases.

These include roads and drainage structures and culverts, the construction of 3,020 meters of roads, 6,040 meters of drains and culverts, water distribution network and retention ponds. The Government of Guyana has so far expended over $1 billion to get this initiative off the ground.

And, according to President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Daniel Gajie, most of the infrastructural work is done, with just a few “finishing touches” needed.

With the area almost completed, the Government, through the Ministry of Tour-

ism, Industry and Commerce has invited applications from interested persons both local and overseas desirous of acquiring industrial lots at Bon Success.

the Guyana Chronicle on Monday.

While the individual benefits are expected to be large, the broader result would be the transformation of Region

tion, exports and a growing demand, economic activities like farming would naturally increase. Not only will there be more producers, but there would be wider job creation

er .7 megawatt. So that is 2.2 megawatts and just last week we approved a one megawatt solar farm…,” Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo said in a previous report.

President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Daniel Gajie

According to an advertisement in the newspapers, the industrial plots are available for lease for the purpose of manufacturing and services-related activities in the following zones: processing industries, light, medium and heavy industries, industrial business, small industries and information and communication zones. A modern business incubator centre to provide business support services is also on the estate.

In order to access lands, investors must have the capacity to commence construction immediately after receiving official permission to occupy the allocated land area.

EAGER Gajie told the Guyana Chronicle that business people in Region Nine are eager to access lands and commence operations on a larger scale because, as it is now, many persons operate from their yards or houses.

“We have quite a number of local businesses operating in their yards… and they are eager to actually get a plot of land and move over to a large enterprise or modernise and expand what they are doing,” Gajie said during a telephone interview with

An aerial view of Lethem

Nine into an economic power house.

When asked about this possibility, Gajie said: “Definitely, because we are already sitting on the footstep of an economic power house… we would be able to access a market in excess of US$4 million in the north initially... and this would not only benefit Lethem, but the entire Region Nine.”

Guyana would be able to increase its market share in Brazil because the produce and products coming out of Region Nine would be refined and standardised.

The region has key items such as cassava, peanuts and lots of fruits like mangoes which are usually wasted because the supply outweighs the demand.

“So, if the park comes on the stream, it will allow us to transform the raw potential of the region into value-added products… it will allow us to have products of acceptable standards not only for national consumption, but also for international use”, Gajie said.

With increased consump-

and employment opportunities.

COST OF ELECTRICITY But for this to be a complete success, Gajie believes that the land and other infrastructure must be supplemented by a steep reduction in the cost of electricity.

“If we can get the cost of electricity significantly reduced, that would be great because we are paying the highest in the country which is $80 per kilowatt,” Gajie said.

It was reported recently that the Government, after reviewing the nation’s energy mix, has crafted a strategy which would move Guyana towards energy efficiency.

“We have had a serious review of almost all of the small systems that we have had. In the last couple of weeks, we have approved contracts to do hydropower at Kumu [Lethem]… we had to look back at what was planned, so we would get 1.5 megawatts from that and we have to rehabilitate Moco Moco which would be anoth-

The aggregate supply of 2.2 megawatts plus the one megawatt produced by the solar farm would give Lethem three times its current capacity. The town’s peak demand is about 1.1 megawatt of power.

“We would have almost triple the capacity and this is all coming from renewable energy, which would allow a massive growth in industrial estates and industrial plants for that area, and also residential purposes,” Vice-President Jagdeo reasoned.

Sitting at the southern end of Guyana, Lethem borders Brazil, which is a known economic powerhouse in South America.

The availability of reliable and cheap electricity would, therefore, inevitably draw consumers and developers to Lethem.

“If the entire Lethem is running on renewable energy, money is saved; there would be a budgetary balance of payments impact, welfare impact and a business impact,” Jagdeo reasoned.

Given the immense ben-

efits which could stem from reliable and cheap electricity, the Vice-President said the provision of such remains a top priority for the Government.

Gajie said the business community in Region Nine welcomes those commitments and is looking forward to a speedy execution and implementation.

Another key component of complete development would be better roads and supporting infrastructure.

LONG HOURS It was reported recently that the journey from Lethem to Georgetown takes as many as 13 hours depending on the state of the road. It recently became impassable. But, there are plans to pave this road, and, once done, the projection is that the trip will take no more than five hours.

This piece of infrastructure will not just improve transportation, but it will also augment trade and tourism and increase land value, among other things.

The construction of this road was discussed when high-level officials of the Government, including President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, met with a visiting team from Brazil, which included the country’s Minister of External Relations, Ernesto Araújo, and senior officials of the Ministry of External Relations and the Federal Police of Brazil.

Both countries also agreed to the implementation of an “International Road Transport Agreement”.

Additionally, the two sides reviewed the existing programme of cooperation between Guyana and Brazil and agreed to the implementation of a number of measures aimed at expanding and strengthening collaboration at the bilateral and regional levels, within the context of existing cooperation mechanisms.

Following positive discussions, both parties also agreed on modalities for advancing the cooperation agenda in trade and investment, health, agriculture, energy, tourism and security.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Debt management crucial to Guyana, says IDB –– advises country to strengthen fiscal framework, other institutions in oil and gas governance

CRITICAL to Guyana’s advancement as an oil-producing nation will be debt management and fiscal discipline, says the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in its fourth quarterly report which was released on Monday.

Guyana began receiving

oil revenues in 2020, and to date has made three sales of one million barrels each.

According to the IDB, each of the sales was made at the Brent reference price at around the time of the sale, such that the first sale was made at US$55 per barrel, before oil prices plummeted in April.

The second sale was made at US$35 per barrel, and the third benefitted from recovering prices, and was made at approximately US$46 per barrel.

As of November 30, 2020, Guyana received three royalty payments totaling US$8.5 million, thereby contributing to a total balance of almost US$150 million (G$31.06 billion) being held in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in the Federal Reserve of New York.

Guyana is now estimated to have at least nine billion barrels in petroleum reserves.

Since 2015, ExxonMobil has made 18 oil discoveries, the most recent of which was in September 2020.

“Given Guyana’s population of approximately 780,000, this suggests the level of reserves equates to 10,250 barrels per person, making Guyana one of rich-

Tuesday December 22, 2020 –– 10:30 HRS

est countries in petroleum reserves per capita in the world. Despite these relatively large reserves, Guyana faces many hurdles and challenges in preparing itself to prudently manage this coming natural,” the IDB said.

Among the existing hurdles is the management of debt, something the IDB says Guyana has been doing “quite prudently” over the last two decades.

The Ministry of Finance is the key institution responsible for the formulation and implementation of the fiscal policy and management of public debt. The ministry’s general fiscal policy objectives are the maintenance of output stability and debt sustainability.

“From 1970 through the mid-1990s, Guyana was the most indebted country in the world, as measured by the ratio of nominal public debt to GDP (Figure 1). Guyana has

since seen tremendous and sustained reductions in public debt levels, driven by, inter alia, debt relief initiatives such as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, as well as by policy reforms,” the international financial institution says in its latest report.

Debt relief under the enhanced HIPC initiative was estimated at US$387 million, based on end-2002 data and parameters (IMF 2003).

In advising Guyana on the way forward, the IDB said: “Government authorities will have the alternative to use some of the new-found oil revenues to close budget financing gaps, and avoid debt accumulation and/or retire expensive outstanding public debt. Budget financing needs to be monitored, however, as it can erode savings and return the nation to a position of high indebtedness.”

It will be important for the Government to strengthen its fiscal framework, as well as other institutions in oil-and-gas governance and public financial management to improve the quality and efficiency of future public expenditure.

Emphasis, the IDB advised, should be placed on building human capacity, developing a comprehensive long-term fiscal sustainability framework, engaging in more economic analyses and forecasting, developing risk management capabilities, and spending oil-and-gas proceeds prudently and effectively, so that they have measurable positive impact on the welfare of the broadest segments of the population.

The financial institution further recommended that the Bank of Guyana implement an active communication strategy.

“It might consider publishing reports about its broad money growth targets, as well as reports explaining its monetary policy decisions in more detail, as well as the rationale behind them, strengthening its procedural and policy transparency,” the IDB said, adding: “The Bank might also consider strengthening its research capabilities by producing analytical work to support or validate the positions taken, or to evaluate likely impacts of external developments.”

According to the IDB, Guyana's economy is on the verge of a historic transformation, owing to recent oil discoveries. In this context, maximising the benefits of faster growth and increased revenues will depend crucially on the financial sector.

As it is now, Guyana’s macroeconomic environment continues to remain stable, characterised by positive growth, low inflation, and a stable exchange rate.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated real GDP growth for 2020 at 26.2 per cent.

Overall price levels show significant stability, with the annual inflation rate averaging 1.8 per cent over the last three years. The inflation rate in 2019 was 2.1 per cent. The IMF projects the inflation rate to fall to 1.3 per cent in 2020, before picking up to 2.9 per cent in 2021.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Major clean-up in Albouystown

By Naomi Parris

EVEN with heavy rainfall on Monday, the flood-prone area of Albouystown in Georgetown has had little to no flooding or backlog of stagnant water; this is largely due to the recently launched clean-up campaign spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and a few youths from the community.

Subject Minister, Nigel Dharamlall on Monday applauded the youths for the works they have been doing to clear and clean the community’s drains and alleyways. The minister disclosed that the residents are in full support of the project, and have been working handin-hand with the ministry to facilitate and maintain such works.

“The residents of Georgetown actually came out in support of this sanitation and enhancement exercise. We have been able to achieve many things; we have been able to get different wards cleaned, and we have been able to reduce flooding, especially in Albouystown,” Dharamlall told the Guyana Chronicle.

During his visit to inspect the works that have been completed, residents indicated to the minister that the area would have been flooded on Monday, had the drains not been cleaned. According to Minister Dharamlall, the residents have indicated their willingness to form a partnership with the ministry to foresee even more developmental projects in the area.

“I think that is something that is going to be ongoing,” he said, adding: “I’m happy

One of the drains that was cleaned by the young me in the community (Delano Williams photo)

that the residents indicated to me that they are going to work with us to elevate the current circumstances of the area. And as a government,

we will continue to put resources into the development of both the psychical and social infrastructure of the different wards of Georgetown.”

The clean-up campaign has seen the employment of over 15 young men in the community.

“We have also had the

impact of creating opportunities for employment. Over 15 persons have been employed; so there is money going into the small communities. So that is also another impact.”

Reiterating his commitment to the project and to the community, the Minister said, “As government, we would like to commit to our residents and the citizens of Georgetown; we will work with them to upgrade the city, and we will do much more infrastructure works on roads and drains, and on the enhancement of our city on the infrastructure of the markets.”

Minister Dharamlall stated that during the course of the next few years, works of similar nature will be intensified in Georgetown, especially in the inner-city communities there.

One dead, another critical after NA accident

POLICE are investigating the circumstances of an accident on the New Amsterdam Public Road Sunday night which has left 27-year-old motorcyclist, Jamal Joseph, dead and another in a critical condition.

Police Headquarters, in a statement, noted that the accident occurred at about 18:00h on Republic Road and Pitt Street, involving a motor car and two motorcycles.

Keil Noble, 39, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam remains in a critical state at the New Amsterdam Hospital. He is reported to have suffered serious head injuries.

The car was driven by a

22-year-old female of Cumberland, East Canje Berbice, while motorcycle, CK 2765, was ridden by Noble with a pillion rider (both wearing helmets).

Police said motorcycle, CK 1731, was ridden by Joseph who was not wearing a helmet. According to reports, the car was proceeding north along Republic Road, when it is alleged that the female driver, attempted to overtake Joseph and she ended up in the path of Noble.

This forced Noble to swerve resulting in a collision of the motorcycles. Noble lost control and collided into the centre front portion of the car; Noble and the pillion rider fell to the ground

Dead: Jamal Joseph

and sustained injuries.

They were picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited citizens and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where they were seen and examined by doctors on duty.

Joseph succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.

The two motorcycles involved in the accident

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The car involved in the accident

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Tajeram Mohabir

Reckless Claims

ON December 18, 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down a historic ruling, announcing that it has jurisdiction to hear the case involving the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy.

The ruling was widely celebrated by members of all sections of society in Guyana, as it paves the way for the World Court to hear the substantive case on the border controversy.

Two days after the landmark ruling, distinguished jurist and international public servant of Guyanese origin Dr Bertrand Ramcharan, in an opinion piece titled, “A reckless World Court decision on border controversy” carried by Stabroek News, offered a different opinion.

Dr Ramcharran contended in essence that the World Court “invented a land-boundary dispute” when it inserted the word ‘dispute’ in its ruling last Thursday, among other contentions.

It should be noted that the ICJ has not “invented a land-boundary dispute,” but it is Venezuela which did when in 1962 it suddenly repudiated the 1899 Arbitral Award.

Supporting his claim, Dr Ramcharran, in quoting from the ruling of the court which states, “Venezuela considers that the ‘subject matter of the Geneva Agreement is the territorial dispute, not the validity of the 1899 Award,” erroneously concludes that “the World Court has in effect given Venezuela

a gift in holding that there is a ‘territorial dispute.’”

This claim is further from the truth. The court has merely noted the notorious fact that Venezuela claims the Essequibo based on its absurd theory that the 1899 Award is “null and void.” That is the “dispute” that has haunted Guyana since its independence 54 years ago.

That was the precise reason for the 1966 Geneva Agreement: to resolve the controversy arising from Venezuela’s baseless contention. And now, the matter is finally before the court, which will resolve it once and for all.

Dr. Ramcharan also makes much of the fact that the court uses the term ‘controversy’ as a synonym for the word ‘dispute,’ when he himself recognises that in international law, a dispute is merely “a disagreement on a point of law or fact, a conflict of legal views or of interests.”

So, is there an unfounded claim, couched in the word ‘dispute’, which amounted to the legal challenge, between Guyana and Venezuela on the 1899 Award’s validity and the border that it established? The answer of course is, yes. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have suffered for 54 years under the shadow of Venezuela’s illegitimate territorial claims.

Is Venezuela’s claim without any merit whatsoever? Again, the answer is a resounding, yes! Otherwise, our powerful neighbour

would not be so afraid of losing the case, which explains why it has chosen not to participate. Fortunately, the court made clear that it will still go ahead and make a binding decision that Venezuela cannot ignore.

Dr. Ramcharan also makes a big deal out of the court’s finding that its jurisdiction does not include “events that occurred after the signature of the Geneva Agreement” in 1966. He concludes, again erroneously, that the court will now “ignore Venezuela’s illegal occupation of Ankoko island and other illegal territorial incursions.”

Again, this is not true. Venezuela’s illegal occupation of Guyana’s half of Ankoko island and all its illegal territorial incursions, as well as its attempted encroachment on Guyana’s maritime areas, are all based on its contention that the 1899 Award is invalid. Once the court upholds the validity of the 1899 Award, Venezuela can no longer claim any part of Guyana’s sovereign territory, including Ankoko as well maritime areas off the Essequibo coast.

Finally, based on these series of misrepresentations, Dr. Ramcharan argues that Guyana must now “make an application for rectification of the decision of the court, or face the risk of Venezuela opportunistically exploiting the gift that the World Court has recklessly handed them.”

First, if he had read the Rules of the Court, he would know that a decision cannot

be appealed, and anyhow, that it makes no sense to appeal a decision that is entirely in Guyana’s favour! Second, if Venezuela was handed such a precious gift, why did it immediately reject the decision? Perhaps after reading Dr. Ramcharan’s opinion, Venezuela might reconsider its position, now that a fellow Guyanese has given them a new interpretation they didn’t think of when reading the judgment.

It is difficult to see how this historic victory for Guyana is a “reckless” decision by the World Court, composed of the most distinguished judges elected by the United Nations. The only recklessness here is that of Dr. Ramcharan, who seeks to manipulate the Guyanese public into questioning what is widely recognised as a turning point in the protection of our national sovereignty. It is highly unfortunate that a Guyanese mind is used to discredit an extraordinary achievement that all Guyanese, from every political party, race, religion, and ethnicity, have supported unconditionally.

With a favourable decision on jurisdiction, Guyana is now poised to soon have a judgment from the world’s highest court that will forever put to rest Venezuela’s unjust claims to 75 per cent of our territory. Surely, this is a cause for celebration. Let’s put aside the pettiness and go forward as One People and One Nation with One Destiny.

Religions, the environment, and pollution Dear Editor, AS is well known, I am a lover of all the scriptures, religions, and all peoples.

Because of these values that I hold dear, I refuse to discriminate and/or choose that which is greater or better in society, in the scriptures, and/or in the religions. I thank God for this heart that helps me to see others with the wisdom of true rationality. I thank the Creator for discovering that platinum line that connects

humanity, religions, and scriptures. Consequently, I am also very pleased to see that other people are becoming more and more tolerant for people of other religions. Moreover, I see that Muslim scholars are quoting the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures today. In light of this, I feel a sense of pride as I initiated this over 30 years ago, albeit with a lot of criticism and humiliation. I see too, Hindu priests who quote from the Holy Quran and other

scriptures of holiness. To me, this is a true expression of maturity, respect, and intelligence.

In history, we have seen how many groups of people abused humanity for the sake of the thinking that their faith and/or ethnicity is superior.

In the past, and even to this day, people with such beliefs would even cause pandemonium, destruction, and misery among the creatures of God to follow the beliefs of their natures and cultures.

However, it is my opinion

that religions are of great blessings; chosen by free will, and all peoples should have the freedom to choose their religions or convert as they feel in their hearts.

In recent times, I have observed that many complaints have been made against the Sanatanists (Hindus), particularly when they have their beach rituals. While I believe that the items they use are essential in their worship and respected by the undersigned, some have a habit of leaving them on the shore in large

quantities or in our waterways; these inevitably wash back on our shores, thereby creating very unsightly images and cause environmental destruction. I humbly propose that Sanatanists walk with bags that can be used to remove these items when they leave and dispose of them accordingly. However, I am of the conviction that it would be more pleasing to their deity(s) if they were to use materials that can be composted, made into compost, or natural fertiliser that can

enhance the growth of food and generally, the environment. In this way, the blessings of their sacrifice will be perpetuated. While I believe that religions must be permitted to function openly without disrespect or inconvenience, I feel it is against the wisdom of Sanatan Dharm (eternal laws) to leave these objects behind to become waste. The irony is that we are polluting the waters which are supposed to be enhancing the worship TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Religions, the environment...

The aim of this advisory is not only directed to my most esteemed and divine brothers and sisters of Sanatan Dharm (Hinduism), but all religions and their practitioners to never abuse or inconvenience nature, the environment, and/or fellow beings. In many cases, we have seen insensitivities towards nature and fellow man by man himself. This also shows that it is not only in religions but at times, an inclination in some of mankind to be unruly, deceptive, and cruel.

My goal, therefore, is to call upon all Hindu institutions, organisations, representatives, Mandirs, and every individual member of this divine group to ensure that their adherents clean up when they are done with their rituals, or to use biodegradable items that can be composted as I proposed above. We all know the dangers of plastic and Styrofoam, which take hundreds of years to decompose.

The Hindus, whose primary scripture, the Bhagavad Gita or as I view it, the "Celestial Song," is one that teaches human nature, natural sciences, astronomy, sociology, psychology, etc.

In my view, cleaning up after the prayers are complete, demonstrates love for nature which is a vast part of the teachings of Sanatan Dharm and personal cleanliness.

It also displays discipline, spiritual enlightenment and wisdom which may be considered as the most essential aspect of worship. Merely praying, worshipping, and not respecting nature and the universe, and/or the teachings of the scriptures, will come to nothing as a rationalist. I have studied the Hindu scriptures intensely - I am not an expert, but as a self-taught respecter of the religion, I know that this kind of behaviour has no place in its teachings and should therefore be frowned upon. As a matter of fact, from a scriptural viewpoint, it is cursed: “A person, who is engaged in killing, polluting wells, and ponds and tanks, and destroying gardens, certainly goes to hell,” (Padmapurana, Bhoomikhananda 96:7-8).

In the same way, we have seen far too many complaints about the noise emanating from some Christian churches; the thumping, wailing, shouting at times that disrupt communities and representatives of other religions who might be praying and medi-

tating themselves. I have great reverence for Christianity, and as one who has also studied the Holy Bible and the way and life of Jesus Christ, we have never seen him or his apostles behave and act in such a way as to disturb people. Worship has always been in a respectful manner. I have seen the Assemblies of God Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Church, etc., and others who do not allow their worship to cause excessive noise nuisance and disturb people. I know the religion has evolved, but my plea to you is to do your utmost not to disrupt the neighbourhood to such a degree that it disturbs people's health and the children concentrating on their studies. As the Bible eloquently teaches: “… in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets,” Mathews 7:12. My advice is to worship in a tone that you can still enjoy, but without disrupting others. This is my appeal and my cry to you. It is in no way an attack or critique, but guidance from a fellow brother of religion.

As it relates to Islam practised in Guyana, Muslims are not known to be of disturbance to people, except that in recent times some people have been amplifying the Adhan (Muslim prayer call) as early as 4:30 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. The natural sound of the Adhan, without the use of these amplified systems, is one of the most comforting sounds to listen to. So much so that some general citizens of other religions assert that it is indeed soothing and it also helps them to wake up early as well. The Adhan does not last longer than two or three minutes, but there are still some people who feel disturbed. This is a secular country and not an Islamic nation, so Muslims need to be mature and cognisant of their neighbours and their feelings.

The sick and students who are studying need to be considered as well.

I must point out that nowhere in Islam are we told that we can use this medium to call the Adhan. The Prophet of Islam, Mohammad (PBUH) constructed minarets on which we are supposed to climb to the top of and call the Adhan (without an amplified system), and then the sound will travel in the air. This produces a really

beautiful sound when you hear it. Human beings should not be subjected to loud and annoying noises to prevent harm, physically, and psychologically. Do not get me wrong, I honour and appreciate the Adhan, but I am going to stand by my conviction that I do not think the amplifier is necessary. In these modern days, we all have technology; alarm clocks, and/or an inbred wake-up mechanism by instructing our subconscious mind to wake up at a specific time. No one rushes to the masjids on hearing the Adhan – they are either already there to pray or if they depend upon the Adhan to remind them to pray, then they are late.

My dear Muslims, my humble advice to you is that if the amplifier is so significant, please play it at a level that does not cause people to abuse our faith in the same way. I have already gotten into trouble a few times with some of my fellow Muslims who make the amplifier holier than the Adhan itself. I was even asked to apologize for suggesting that people should not use the amplifier.

However, as I said above, if the amplifier has reached such prominence in your heart, then play it at a volume that will not annoy anyone. Instead, my advice is to ascend to the top of the minaret, as they did in the days of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and do it naturally. And, whoever calls the Adhan, whether on an amplifier or normal, should be a person with a beautiful voice that will induce meditation, relaxation, and contemplation.

Respected editor, dear readers; I also humbly appeal to all religions to avoid the use of plastic and styrofoam for religious activities and to try to hold on to what is good for our homes, our planet, and to use biodegradable products or objects that could be recycled. I say all of this as a caring, loving citizen of our country, and as a brother to each of our peoples. We need to just dial certain things down a bit to make it sweeter and easier to understand and relate to each other as one human family under God. Let us create a truly harmonious nation of elegance, decency, and compassion for one another.

I always pride myself on the wonderful thought of where I see a mosque next to a mandir, and not too far

away from it is a Christian church. When I see this, I am often reminded of the

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Guyanese bond that unites us in love and peace despite our differences in cultures.

Sincerely, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Food For The Poor spreads Christmas cheer at eight orphanages THE season of giving is upon us, and, despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, Food For The Poor Guyana (FFTP) is continuing with its Christmas tradition of spreading the joy of the season.

The organisation, under its Angels of Hope programme, extended its generosity to several orphanages through the annual distribution of its Christmas donations and the commencement of its toy drive.

In keeping with the organisation’s mandate to assist the less fortunate, the donations were made to eight orphanages, to assist them in the dayto-day care of the children.

The Guyana Chronicle

caught up with the coordinator of the Angels of Hope programme, Kaleeda Crandon.

“Every Christmas there is a toy drive wherein we give personalised gifts to the different children’s homes and usually there’s the Christmas party; we might take them on an outing or something but given the covid-19 restrictions, we will just be donating the toys this year. We’re in the process of distributing them right now, because I want to ensure that the children get it before Christmas,” she remarked.

When asked about the organisation’s efforts to assist the orphanages outside of the current outreach, Crandon indicated that donations are

Gifts ready to be distributed to some of the orphanages.

Food For The Poor has already delivered some

regularly made.

“On a monthly basis these orphanages receive donations from us with regards to food clothing and other items they

might need, school supplies and so on and most of them are the ones that don’t get regular support from other donors and that is why we

tend to prioritise these nine homes,” she said.

Kamal Children Home, Hope Children’s Home, St. John Bosco Orphanage,

Blessed the Children Home, A Sanctuary, Save R Kids Children’s Home, Hauraruni Girls’ Home and Joshua House Children’s Centre are the institutions that benefit from the toy drive and annual donation.

The Christian relief programmes and projects implemented by the organisation are helping vulnerable groups by providing food, housing, health care, education, water projects, emergency relief, and micro-enterprise assistance in the Caribbean and Latin America.

GuyOil workers threaten strike action

By Rehana Ahamad UPWARDS of 400 employees attached to the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) are threatening to take industrial action in light of

the company’s refusal to honour an agreement for salary increases in 2020.

This is according to President of the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) Sherwood Clarke,

who said that when negotiations commenced in July last, the company had agreed to pay increases based on a performance-appraisal system.

“We received a letter dated September 10, 2020,

President of the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union, Sherwood Clarke

which stated that the Board of Directors had an extraordinary meeting three days before, and that during the meeting, they agreed to pay salary increases using the pay-per-performance method.

“We recommended two methods –one was an across-the-board increase, and the other was based on a performance- appraisal system,” Clarke said.

He explained that after a new Board of Directors was installed at the oil company, the new management withdrew from the agreement.

“This has caused great distress to workers,” Clarke said.

He explained that while

many persons were home during the COVID-19 lockdown, GuyOil workers were providing essential services.

“GuyOil workers are considered frontline workers; they didn’t take days off and stay indoors, they continued their work,” Clarke lamented.

In addition to salary increases, the CCWU President said that the company had also agreed to pay Christmas bonuses.

“These are essential workers being denied; at the extraordinary meeting, they agreed that as long as

to come back to the table to tell us something positive,” Clarke said.

With an expired ultimatum, Clarke said that workers are currently in talks about calling a countrywide strike.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Chairman of the new GuyOil Board of Directors, Trevor Bassoo related that 2020 had been a difficult year. He explained that with the impact of COVID-19, the company had found itself unable to deliver on its promises.

“The situation at this

the company made profits, the increases would be paid.

They had their recent AGM and declared $2.9B as profit,” Clarke said.

The union president is calling on the oil company to resume discussions so that a mutually beneficial decision can be made.

“The union now is very disgruntled and disappointed in this negotiation, and workers will not accept this announcement by the management to not award an increase in salary in 2020.”

The workers, according to Clarke, have given the company an ultimatum.

“We told them that they had until December 18, 2020

point in time does not allow us or permit us to issue any of those two specific forms of remuneration that the union requested,” Bassoo noted.

Bassoo said that outside of the specific requests, GuyOil has been considering other benefits for its staff.

He declined to say what the other benefits were.

“From the inception, consideration has been given to our staff; we value them pretty much more than anything else, so throughout the decision process their well-being has been priority, but it really isn’t possible for this year,” Bassoo maintained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Three Guyanese women to benefit from entrepreneurship, leadership training THREE female Guyanese entrepreneurs will benefit from entrepreneurship and leadership training, and networking opportunities under the U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program.

According to a release from the US Embassy in Georgetown, the local entrepreneurs, Filisha Duke, Joylyn John, and Maleka Russell will be part of a three-month virtual fellowship between January and April 2021.

During this time, they will

join 260 other young leaders from 37 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. They are expected to complete the YLAI Entrepreneurial Leadership Curriculum, and will work with a US host organisation for four weeks.

The Guyanese will also be paired with a designated mentor, and collaborate with other fellows to address shared foreign policy challenges throughout the exchange. They are also expected to engage in live events and cross-cultural activities.

“The program is a collab-

orative, enriching experience that combines technical entrepreneurship training with leadership development and networking opportunities,” the release stated.

Filisha Duke, who is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sure Gig, has experience in securing contracts, and building key partnerships to facilitate the company’s objectives.

During the fellowship, she aims to learn effective approaches to managing and maintaining financial growth, strategies on increasing market share, brand awareness

Jobs for persons with disabilities through public-private partnerships being considered -Min. Persaud says THE Human Services Ministry has been engaging the public and private sectors to find ways to employ persons with a disability, disclosed Minister Vindhya Persaud.

This is in keeping with the promise the Minister made after her assumption to office.

She had expressed that her ministry’s main focus will be centred on the elevation of vulnerable groups in society.

“Very early when I got into office, I had engaged the private sector to let them know that we need to start looking for employment for people who are differently-abled or people with disabilities. Because of my interest of working with persons with disabilities, I have been engaging the Deaf Association of Guyana and a number of agencies that deal with disabled persons, including the National Disability commission,” Minister Persaud told Guyana Chronicle during a recent interview.

Additionally, Coursera courses were created in partnership with the Ministry of Education for special needs individuals, as a means of allowing them to access certificates. It was also noted that the integration of special needs individuals into the public and private working environment will be done on varying levels with equal pay.

“Because I understood too, that training is a different and difficult thing for them to access, I reached out to my colleague, Priya Manickchand and we got Coursera courses for the disability groups. The courses were shared with the National Disability Commission and the Deaf Association of Guyana so that people can have access to

some certificates,” she related.

The minister informed that her ministry, in going forward, will ensure that the services the afore-mentioned group accesses on a daily basis are provided in a way that’s convenient, considerate and respectful.

“In ensuring that we not only understand their needs but we respect them, we have also worked on PSA’s with the Deaf Association that allowed

GCOPD Programme Coordinator, Ganesh Singh

them to express what their dreams are. That process made me realise how important it is to communicate with people in the way in which they feel comfortable… many people don’t access services because it isn’t offered in a way that appeals to them,” the minister said.

On August 12, the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) had expressed that they were looking forward to working along with the government to improve the content of Guyana’s Disability Act. The Council had also noted that there were hoping to see improvements in the scale of special education needs so that children with disabilities would have more opportunities to

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

gain a meaningful education.

It was also posited by GCOPD Programme Coordinator, Ganesh Singh, that the body would further like to see the provision of low-income house lots for persons with disabilities, and a small percentage of all government jobs being given to such persons who are qualified or skilled.

“We want them to have employment, or they should be given a disability grant monthly so that they may be able to live a much better life,” Singh said.

Towards a more independent life, Singh said buildings should become more accessible, whether in the form of wheelchair ramps, elevators or lifts so that those in wheelchairs can conduct their business without having to depend on others.

More importantly, the Council is expected to target amendments to existing legislation to ensure that persons with disabilities, especially those who are blind, can vote independently using templates or whatever provisions are available.

Filisha Duke

Joylyn John

Maleka Russell

and sales, and how to facilitate scaling and expansion.

Managing Director for Juneberry Gy, Joylyn John, has experience in leadership, the retail market, and vast knowledge in business operations. Through this fellowship, the release noted, she aims to learn about the legal side of running a business, both locally and internationally, sharpen her leadership skills and her “know how” on

approaching investors with investment proposals, and learn how to have the highest returns possible in her business.

And Maleka Russell, who is the owner of Green Valley Organics, has experience in insect and pest control, shade house vegetable cultivation technologies, and climate-smart agricultural practices, aims to learn about business development, developing a business model for

agricultural sustainability, and engaging with other entrepreneurs as they promote healthy lifestyles through better nutrition.

The 2021 YLAI Fellowship Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The three Guyanese have been selected out of over 2,300 applicants.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GHRA pleased with govt’s willingness to consider Argentine team –– No word yet on whether police have provided requested documents

EAAF Director, Dr. Louis Fondebrider (second left) and GHRA Co-President, Mike McCormack, along with members of the Henry family, visit the scene where the bodies of Joel and Isaiah Henry were found (Nigel Hughes photo)

THE Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA)

is optimistic that the government will consider util-

ising the experience of the Argentine Team of Foren-

sic Anthropology (EAAF) following President Irfaan Ali’s commitment to facilitate any additional help needed by the police.

At the sidelines of a recent event, President Ali was asked whether his government will facilitate the offer of assistance by Dr. Luis Fondebrider, the Argentine Forensic Anthropologist who recently visited Guyana on a fact-finding mission, to assist in the probe of the murders of teenage cousins, Joel and Isaiah Henry, and Haresh Singh.

Then, he said that the government will facilitate whatever additional help the Guyana Police Force (GPF) needs to solve these murders.

On Monday, in an invited comment, Co-President of the GHRA, Mike McCormack, said that the President’s remarks were “very helpful” and the body was happy to hear him make such a commitment.

“There is clearly a willingness to consider this,

which is what we were hoping to achieve, and let’s see now how it goes forward,” McCormack said.

The GHRA facilitated the recent visit by Dr. Fondebrider, in accordance with the wishes of the affected families. The body was instrumental in connecting the anthropologist, who is the Director of the EAAF, with key agencies.

“Our role at that stage, we feel, is completed and if later there is the need for more facilitation, we’re willing to provide it,” McCormack said on Monday.

During his visit, Dr. Fondebrider met with the affected families and visited the crime scenes at West Coast Berbice (WCB). On Tuesday, he met with Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn and top police officials. Last week, before departing Guyana, Dr. Fondebrider said that he requires key documents from the GPF in order to make recommendations on

how the EAAF can assist with the investigations into the murders.

These documents, which include the autopsy reports, reports from the crime scene, the complimentary analysis, inter alia, would enable him to offer his opinion and advice.

Though it was not communicated by what specific date these documents will be made available to him, Dr. Fondebrider said, “I am optimistic. I feel the government has intention but intention is done with concrete acts.”

The Guyana Chronicle understands that those documents were not yet sent to Dr. Fondebrider, as of Monday. Calls and messages to both the Commissioner of Police and Crime Chief went unanswered, while Assistant Commissioner, Royston Andries-Junor, who is the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GPF, could not provide any update on this.

Father of three remanded for murder of Cummings Lodge woman MAGISTRATE Alisha George on Monday remanded a 46-year-old security guard to prison for the murder/rape of Marilyn Singh, whose lifeless body was found in her Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residence earlier this month.

Ravindra Ramdeen, called “Ravin”, appeared before the Sparedaam Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plea to the indictable charge, which alleged that on December 11, 2020, at Eighth Street, Cummings Lodge, he murdered the 53-year-old woman during the course or furtherance of a rape. The father of three was remanded to prison until February 1 for report.

The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that Ramdeen is the reputed husband of Singh’s step-niece.

According to the reports, Ramdeen confessed to strangling Singh after she refused to have sex with him a second time on December 11. He claimed that he and Singh, known as “Jean”, had shared an intimate relation-

Marilyn Singh, known as “Jean”

ship, and that the woman had invited him to “sneak over” that night.

Singh, along with Ramdeen, his wife and other relatives shared the same home; however, after Singh filed assault charges against her step-niece, both the niece and her husband (Ramdeen) were asked to move.

Ramdeen had allegedly told investigators that he had consumed a quantity of Vodka before visiting Singh, and that the woman, upon letting him in, became annoyed by his drinking.

The accused said that he then “held onto” Singh, and as she was walking backwards, she fell onto the bed.

Ramdeen said he then took

off the woman’s clothes, after which they became intimate, and that after he was done, they laid down.

The man reportedly told the police that as Singh was attempting to “get up”, he pulled her back onto the bed, causing her to hit her head.

Ramdeen claimed that Singh then shouted his name twice, after which he “choked her and went home.”

A neighbour told the police that she’d heard the woman’s faint screams around 02:26 hrs on December 11. “She was screaming, saying, ‘Ravin!

Ravin! What you doing?’” the neighbour had related to this newspaper.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

113 boys sexually abused –– ages 8 – 13 most susceptible

By Rehana Ahamad A TOTAL of 113 boys have been sexually assaulted for the period January 2020 to October 2020. This was reflected in statistics compiled and presented by the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA).

The figures indicate that boys between the ages of eight and 13 are most susceptible to sexual abuse, with 44 of them in that age group being made victims already for this year. This is against 68 recorded cases in the same category for all of 2019.

Teenagers account for the second highest number of young male victims, with 34 sexual molestation cases being recorded for 2020. This is compared to 61 victims recorded in the previous year.

Some 29 boys, between the ages of four and seven, have

also been sexually assaulted for 2020, as compared to 55 in 2019. For this year also, six boys below the age of three were sexually violated, in comparison to 10 recorded cases for all of 2019.

Meanwhile, girls continue to account for the majority of sexual abuse figures, with a total of 582 cases recorded for the period January 2020 to October 2020. The CPA reports show that most of Guyana’s abused girls are teenagers, with 321 cases recorded in that category. This troubled number is followed by 204 girls between the ages of eight and 13 being sexually abused.

Thirty-eight girls between the ages of four and seven have been similarly violated for the aforementioned 2020 period. Alarmingly, 19 of the recorded victims for this year were barely three years old

Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ann Greene

and below. Even though the CPA statistics may reflect a 26.5 per cent decrease in the overall number of recorded child abuse cases, this is not necessarily an accurate reflection of what may be taking place throughout the country.

Director of the CPA, Ann Greene had explained that with schools being out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has lost one of its most critical partners in the fight

against child abuse. Teachers throughout the length and breadth of Guyana have been at the forefront of identifying and reporting cases of children being abused. However, the advent of COVID-19 has resulted in most schools being shut since March 2020.

Even though these closures serve as a defence mechanism against the deadly virus, it has confined many defenceless children to abusive home environments. The CPA Director noted that even though COVID-19 has put a damper on many of the agency’s programmes, Childcare officials have managed to become innovative and responsive to all reported cases of child abuse.

“As essential workers, we

continued to provide services to children and families,” Greene said in her speech at a recent CPA staff conference.

She pointed out, too, that even amid the lockdown and curfews, CPA workers have responded to 859 hotline calls, while monitoring 220 children in the Foster Care Programme. “…and we continued to keep the 150+ children in our care centres safe, and occupied,” Greene added.

For the period January 2020 to October 2020, a total of 2761 child-abuse cases were recorded, compared to 3757 in 2019, and 4368 during the previous year. An analysis of the figures show that an average of seven children are being abused daily, with Region

One leading the charts of an abuse rate of 17.8 per cent of every 1000 children, a figure which encapsulates all forms of abuse including sexual.

Greene said that the CPA’s work over the past year has benefited from critical support provided by many of CPA’s partners, including United Bridge Builders Incorporated, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as ChildLink Guyana.

Authorities are hoping that the establishment of the ‘914’ toll-free, 24-hour hotline would result in more persons reaching out to the CPA in cases of all forms of abuse, especially those involving children.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Hicken urges public to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines DEPUTY Police Commissioner Operations (ag.), Clifton Hicken, is urging the general public to adhere to the COVID-19 emergency measures during the holiday season.

He made the plea on Sunday

last when he met with residents of Grove, East Bank Demerara at the Grove Primary School.

He reminded residents to always wear a mask when going out in public and to practise social distancing.

Residents were also reminded about

A section of the gathering at the meeting held at the Grove Primary School

Deputy Commissioner Operations (ag.), Clifton Hicken

the 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours curfew which remains

in effect until December 31, 2020.

Also at the meeting were Regional Division Commander 4 (B), Senior Superintendent, Linden Isles, and chairman of the Grove Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Indrani Geeta Ramnarine.

Regional Commander Isles, in his opening remarks, highlighted the importance of police and community partnership along with the need for the Guyana Police Force to build bridges and improve the trust with members of the public.

Deputy Commissioner Hicken, who spoke briefly, urged residents to openly share their problems and recommendations, noting

that action will be taken to address issues as they relate to the service provided by the police to the community.

Hicken also noted that partnerships with the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, Community Policing Groups, the Corporate Sector, Non-Governmental Organisations and religious organisations will be on stream.

Further, the Deputy Commissioner added that a WhatsApp group will be created to focus on suspicious activities and which will activate the deployment of patrols.

Hicken noted that a follow-up meeting with the residents will occur in January 2021.

Education Min. zeroes in on disparities in hinterland education –– reviewing data, infrastructure ahead of new school term

By Vishani Ragobeer COGNISANT of the disparities faced by students in the hinterland regions, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a review of the existing infrastructure is being done to ensure that some support can be provided in the new school term.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Deputy Chief Education Officer (DCEO) for Amerindian and Hinterland Development, Marti DeSouza said this newly-instituted unit would “immediately” review the infrastructure that exists for hinterland schools.

This review includes understanding how many schools have science laboratories and functioning computer ‘labs’.

Once this is done, he affirmed that the central Ministry of Education (MoE) will look into what can be done to support the schools, and perhaps improve the infrastructure.

“This should be done not very long from now. School closed Friday, and it is a matter of me gathering data which is

available within the central ministry to see where these facilities exist, and what are the challenges,” DeSouza said.

DeSouza, who hails from the hinterland village of Santa Rosa, is familiar with the disparities in hinterland education. And, he acknowledged that the pandemic has exacerbated these.

“We, in the hinterland, do not have access to Wi-Fi as readily as the coastland, and so the Internet access that students might have had access to was data,” he highlighted.

Since access to data is what teachers and students have relied upon, communication has been limited to sending voice notes and images via WhatsApp. Classes via virtual media such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams would not be made possible.

According to DeSouza, the situation with data presents several challenges, however.

The data plans offered by the two mobile telecommunications companies in Guyana is limited. Limited data is not conducive to virtual learning, especially with the emphasis on video streaming, which

utilises large amounts of that data.

A basic monthly plan, containing two gigabytes of data, costs $2,000 on one network, and $2,699 on the other. But, consider this: A 30-minute video call via WhatsApp uses approximately 350 megabytes of data.

There are 1,000 megabytes of data in one gigabyte, therefore, approximately three hours of a video call (or approximately six 30-minute sessions) would consume this entire month plan. It is, therefore, difficult to sustain data usage for education.

“COVID has opened our eyes to many, many things such as the systems we have in place to buffer the effects of such a pandemic,” DeSouza lamented.

Another issue has been the unavailability of devices such as tablets, phones and laptops. Several weeks ago, the education ministry began distributing work booklets in an attempt to mitigate these challenges. Still, interactions between learners and teachers have been constrained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

150 graduate from skills training programme -to commence second part on January 18

By Richard Bhainie ONE HUNDRED and FIFTY Soesdyke-Linden Highway residents last Friday graduated from Semester One of Phase One of the Yarrowkabra-based ‘IMPACT ME!!!’ skills training programme The graduation ceremony was held at Savannah Tours, Yarrowkabra.

The initiative is being conducted by Justice Corp (Guyana) Inc, in collabora-

tion with Eletra Foundation, Community Open-Door Alliance and TIVA College. It targets residents of Yarrowkabra East and West and its environs, but is not limited to those areas.

The IMPACT ME project was designed to offer skills training to participants who will be equipped with lifeskills that can create better livelihoods through job employment, entrepreneurship and/or can help them to make meaningful contributions to their communities by taking

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton with participants at the graduation ceremony

A graduate receives her certificate

up leadership roles.

It is open to unemployed, unskilled and semi-skilled individuals, including but not limited to school dropouts, teenage mothers and fathers, slow-leaners, differently-abled individuals, single parents, stay-at-home mothers and widows.

It is a two-fold project.

Phase one is the training aspect which has two semesters. The first semester focused on theoretical and practical training of each subject area, while the second semester will offer entrepreneurship and leadership training to further prepare students for the second phase.

The graduates in Semester One underwent training in visual arts and craft, fabric arts, sewing, catering, cosmetology, motor mechanics, woodwork (joinery and woodcraft), carpentry, masonry, and foundational academics (Mathematics and English Language).

The second semester, which commences on January 18, consists of the enterprising aspect, whereby entrepreneurial skills will be learnt and applied to each respective area in a practical way by initiating small or medium-size business ventures.

Phase two, entitled ‘SPREAD’ the acronym for Specialise, Produce, Reap, Earn, Advance and Drive, focuses on the implementation of what was accomplished in the first phase.

Persons are urged to contact Justice Corp (Guyana) Inc., to sign up for the programme which is free of cost.

Participants are required to pay only a $1,000 registration fee.

The organisation’s office is located at Lot 102 Sandeman Place, Brickdam, Stabroek. Contact can also be made on telephone numbers (592) 603 2763 or 225 6862.

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Education Min. zeroes in on ...

Digital entrepreneur, Samantha Sheoprashad also told the Guyana Chronicle that improved infrastructure is badly needed to improve Internet bandwidth and security, but also that programmes and policies need to be instituted to develop digital literacy in Guyana.

Sheoprashad works with communities in rural areas, and affirmed that in these communities, similar challenges have

been experienced ever since the shift to virtual education was made.

“I don’t think any of the policymakers thought this was something that was going to happen… And now that people have to go to school online, those people still do not have access to basic education sometimes, and still do not have access to Internet.

More needs to be done,” Sheoprashad emphasised.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

50 more persons recover from COVID-19

AN additional 50 persons have recovered after being infected with the virus, COVID-19, but 46 more persons became affected, according to the Ministry of Health.

Guyana has now recorded 6,171 cases of the virus after 46 new cases were recorded

from 276 new tests. The Ministry’s daily COVID-19 dashboard reflected that there are currently 802 active cases. The newer cases were recorded in 31 males and 15 females. They were also distributed across Region One (four cases), Region Three (one case), Region Four (27

cases), Region Five (one case), Region Six (five cases) and Region 10 (eight cases).

So far, 5,369 infected persons have recovered.

Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, exhibiting no symptoms. However, seven patients are still

being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

There are 12 persons in institutional quarantine, 34 in institutional isolation and 602 in home isolation.

No additional deaths have

been recorded, therefore the number of deaths re-

main at 159.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force this week A NATIONAL Task Force that will be responsible for the rollout of vaccines for the COVID-19 disease will be announced this week, according to Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony.

During Monday’s COVID-19 update, the minister said that this body will be tasked with ensuring that Guyana is adequately prepared for the eventual rollout of the vaccine; and to ensure that this mandate is fulfilled, several persons have been engaged.

“What we’re looking for is a specific type of expertise as it relates to vaccines, cold chain (storage), logistics and management,” the minister said, adding that this expertise is being sought from individuals in both the public and private sectors.

Previously, the minister had highlighted that this task force will include government agencies, the private sector, members of the Joint Services and hopefully, expert immunologists.

The rollout of vaccines for COVID-19 will require careful logistical planning and management, but also specialised resource capacity. It is already known that cold-storage facilities are required.

The Ministry of Health has published bids for private contractors to procure and install refrigerators and vaccine carriers, which must be completed before Guyana receives its first quota of the COVID-19 vaccines next year.

It was reported that Dr. Anthony emphasised that all of the cold- storage spaces should have been already created to match the specific temperatures of whichever vaccine is chosen by the

COVAX facility by mid-January.

The U.S. drug company Moderna had announced that its vaccine, the mRNA1273 from Biotech, could be stored in a standard refrigerator with temperatures of two to eight degrees Celsius (36 degrees to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 days. The rollout of this vaccine began only on Monday, in the U.S. Meanwhile, the other vaccine that is already being distributed, the Pfizer vaccine, however, must be stored at very cold temperatures of minus 70 to 80 degrees. Measures are being put in place to ensure that the country’s cold-storage chain could accommodate either.

Beyond physical requirements, human capacity-building is necessary.

The Health Ministry has also started to develop a training manual that would be used to train healthcare workers on how to administer a vaccine.

Guyana’s first set of COVID-19 vaccines will be secured free of cost, since the country has signed up with the COVAX facility, a global initiative geared at accelerating the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and then providing them in a guaranteed rapid, fair and equitable manner to those countries which need them. COVAX currently has the world’s largest and most diverse portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines.

Though signing up with COVAX carries a fee, Guyana’s costs are being met through GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, which is coordinating COVAX, along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation

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50 more persons...

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures (No. Nine) are in force from December 1, 2020 until December 31, 2020. 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 these current measures however, all persons are required to

wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important. The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 2267480; or 180/181 for assistance.

(WHO).

This initial set of vaccines that Guyana will be receiving for free is expected to cover 20 percent of the population, and it is likely that healthcare workers and elderly persons with comorbidities (other underlying medical conditions) will receive it first.

A COVID-19 vaccine

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Destiny Empowerment Worship Centre gives back

OVER 50 persons from the Albouystown environs in Georgetown were the recipients of food hampers from the Destiny Empowerment Worship Centre, on Sunday, when the church continued its annual drive in giving back to vulnerable communities.

The beneficiaries were provided with grocery bags containing a number of es-

sential food items, and were grateful to the church for reaching out, particularly given the hardships faced this year by many persons due to the COVID-19 situation.

“This year it was rough, rough because the work does be so very hard. So we are thankful for every little bit,” commented one 50-year-old recipient who works as a domestic worker; she is also

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

a mother of three.

A team of members from the church braved midday rain to carry out the activity, which took place on James Street. The exercise was headed by the church’s pastor, Sean Sobers, and his wife, Michelle, and marked the conclusion of the church’s annual “21 Days of Prayer” which began on December 1, 2020.

Pastor of the Destiny Empowerment Worship Centre, Sean Sobers, handing over a food hamper to a resident of the Albouystown community (Elvin Croker photo)

Some of the happy recipients with the hampers (Elvin Croker photo)

“One of the hallmarks of being a Christian is we give, Christ gave so we have to give. During this season, we believe this is the best time to give back, so every year we normally do our 21 days’ prayer and then take the time out to give. We give clothing, we give food, in whatever way we can we give, so this year is no different,” shared Sobers, who is also a wellknown local singer.

Sobers said the giving back is an important component of reaching out to the masses and finishing their prayer campaign on a strong note. Sobers has been head of the Durban Street church since its inception ten years ago. The church started its giving back as part of its Christmas drive some five years ago.

“Most persons, they normally pray at the beginning of the year, but five years ago God said to us, it’s not only about beginning the year strong, but about ending the year strong. And so we started this and it is said if you do anything 21 times, it becomes a habit, so it’s not just about praying, it’s about re-dedicating your life to God; so when you come to the end of the year you finish strong and then you begin stronger,” Sobers said.

This year, the church was all the more moved to give back as a number of overseas-based persons came on board to make the activity

possible.

“There are many persons in the diaspora that have been a blessing to make this a reality, and we are really grateful for their contributions,” Sobers expressed.

He further said that: “Since this whole COVID-19, we placed our service online and the online membership helped us to really grow. We had people from as far as Africa, in the US, in Canada, London, Netherlands and other places. So a lot of those persons have partnered with us, so this is not even the end there is lots more to come in 2021.”

Church Administrator, Nessa Sobers, explained that the church would often visit varying communities but was touched this year to reach out to Albouystown.

“For the past five years, we have been doing what we call a deep outreach where we empower persons by coming out into the communities and giving back to the less fortunate and vulnerable population in different ways. We don’t always come to Albouystown. We have targetted other places in Georgetown and even out of Georgetown, but we decided to come to this community this year. We were here last year and we wanted to come out and support again this year,” she shared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Additional branches, scholarships among plans for GSA –– Min. Mustapha

By Naomi Parris PERSONS who are interested in pursuing studies within the field of agriculture will soon benefit from scholarship programmes at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) which is also to establish branches in several remote regions.

This was recently made known by Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

The minister stated that while many may think that there are very few millennials who are interested in the agriculture sector, within the last four months he has observed a renewed interest in this field, especially among the youth.

“I think that perception has changed. [During] my outreaches around the country a number of young people are coming forward and they want to play a part in agriculture,” he said.

The minister added: “I have been going across different parts of the country and a lot of young people have been coming on board.”

According to Minister Mustapha, this renewed interest and determination of some of the upcoming farmers and agriculturist have pushed him to start sponsoring scholarship programmes for those who may not be able to attend the University of Guyana or the Guyana School of Agriculture. “…recently I started out to sponsor young people who are going to the University of Guyana. I have already given out a scholarship this year to the Berbice Cricket Board and I plan to extend that scholarship to different parts of the country,” he informed.

Additionally, the minister stated that, in the new year, he will extend the institution to various parts of the country to provide the full agriculture learning experience to prospective students who live in remote areas across the country, starting with Berbice.

“I also plan to take a branch of the Guyana School of Agriculture to Berbice in the new year so that we can have more young people interested in the agriculture sector,” he said.

Aside from the extension, the Minister stated that the school will be revamped to

The Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA)

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

have a new outlook starting with a new and more vigorous curriculum to prepare graduates for their respective careers within the sector.

“I am looking now to revamp the whole curriculum so that we can teach practical things and teach topics that will help our country within the agriculture sector,” he said.

The minister stressed on government’s determination to ensure Guyanese across the country have access to the institution.

“We will be expanding the curriculum and also expanding the school to different parts of the country so that we can have more persons going to the school of agriculture,” he added.

The goal, the minister noted, is to ensure the school’s continued international recognition and to offer scholarship programmes to other Caribbean territories.

“I had a meeting with some of [my] colleagues within the Caribbean and they are requesting that we should provide them with scholarships in the Caribbean so we are looking,” he said.

Currently there are two Agriculture schools in the country, one at Mon Repos, East Coast of Demerara and the other is at Cotton Field, Essequibo Coast.

The programmes being offered at the school are Diploma in Agriculture, Diploma in Livestock Production & Management, Diploma in Animal Health & Veterinary Public Health, Certificate in Agriculture, Certificate in Forestry, Certificate in Fisheries Studies and Certificate in Agro Processing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

GTTA president confirms restart tournament date to be announced soon THE Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) is in its final stages of preparation for their ‘Restart Competition’ which is scheduled to begin before the dreaded 2020 year ends.

Speaking briefly with president of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, he said the association still has a few logistical aspects to complete before the event serves off at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC).

“Given that you want to give the players the amount of time to be aware of when we are setting it (the tournament), so we contacted them and the tournament will be held before the year is out. Its critical to us to ensure this. We want to ensure we do it in a safe manner, not just to have an event but to resume in a

safer context,” he disclosed.

The GTTA will run this tournament according to the guidelines published by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). These Guidelines contain mandatory requirements for all stakeholders organizing, participating, or attending an ITTF sanctioned event.

ITTF guidelines do not allow more than eight persons in the venue at once which mean players will play at scheduled times. It also states that balls will be marked so no two players will ever handle the same ball. Added to that, area sanitation, along with face masks and regular temperature readings, will also help mitigate the spread of the virus.

Initially, the tournament was scheduled to begin on November 27, but awaiting

a response caused the association not to finalise a date.

According to Munroe, after meeting with the players this week, a definitive date will be set.

However, the GTTA plans to commence the event in the coming week which will see the competition roll into the New Year.

Operating under the ITTF guidelines in a smaller venue than the traditional Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), the association will be forced to have additional days for the tournament which features four-categories.

Even though training has resumed for the GTTA, the tournament is expected to be an intriguing one since players have not been engaged in full competition in almost nine months.

Unusual year for Golf, with no Guyana Open Cup THE year 2020 has marked the first time in almost a decade that the local golfing fraternity has been deprived of competing on one of the biggest stages in the sport’s rich history-- the Guyana Open Cup .

Although golf has proven to withstand the rigors of the pandemic, mostly due to the sport being played under an individual basis, with the choice of a caddy being optional, the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), for the first time, will not be hosting its marquee event at the Lusignan Course.

Another downside to no competition this year is that fans will not get to witness the mastery and class of Avinash Persaud.

The reigning, defending champion has won the title 10 consecutive years, making him arguably the most successful golfer in the country over the last decade, while placing him among the ranks of one of the premier golfers in the entire Caribbean.

Earlier in the year, Persaud had told this publication that he was coping with the pandemic and lockdown reasonably well, despite not having full access to train and work entirely on the most important parts of his game.

Despite the obvious challenges, the ace golfer had remained focused on working towards possibly defending his title this year; making him an 11-time champ if he had succeeded.

Golf, on a whole, has shifted gears for the better as the Guyana Golf Association (GGA), backing up the efforts of the LGC to ensure that the sport’s legacy and the lovers are kept together even when challenges arise. The off-time also made golfers more aware of their flaws as a number of them from the community admitted to correcting their errors during the time afforded to them during lockdown, as they had hopes of playing in the Cup. The pandemic curtailed not only the most important tournament of

golf’s annual things-todo, but the opportunity to possibly witness a number of new faces, old pros and, more so, participation from women.

The fraternity will also heavily miss out on the involvement of the overseas contingent of golfers who usually play integral parts in the expansion and high levels of competition which has been synonymous with the Cup over the years.

One thing that can be learnt from the disappointment, this year, is the need for early preparation for the hosting of the competition in 2021, even if the pandemic persists. . With the sport’s ability to run solo games, which coincided with the Social-Distance guidelines, it remains a surprise that no avenue was created, thus ensuring that the most important event of the year for golf was hosted under some sort of normalcy. (Clifton Ross)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

NBA season tips off today

Can the Los Angeles Lakers win back-to-back titles?

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Kallis appointed England batting consultant for Sri Lanka Test tour JACQUES Kallis has been appointed as England’s latest batting consultant for next month’s Test series in Sri Lanka, a tour that the ECB insists is set to go ahead as planned in spite of the heightened uncertainty over the UK’s latest wave of measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ECB last week stepped up its search for fulltime appointments for their batting, pace- and spin-bowling coaching vacancies, with applications due to close on January 10, meaning that Kallis’s appointment may be the last consultancy role used by the board. Similar appointments were made for Jonathan Trott during the Pakistan Tests last summer, and Marcus Trescothick on the recent whiteball tour of South Africa.

series loss against England.

However, with CSA committing in September to a policy of affirmative action for future consultant roles, Kallis’s opportunities for further work within his home country are limited, particularly now that the role of High Performance Batting Consultant, a position that spans all levels of the professional game in South Africa, has gone to his former team-mate Neil McKenzie.

Discussions between Kallis and the ECB are understood to have taken place earlier this month, and have been described as “very quick and simple”. He is expected to link up with the squad when they travel to Hambantota on January 2, ahead of the first of two Tests against Sri Lanka in Galle starting January 14.

The LA Lakers ended a decade-long wait for a 17th NBA title in October

WHEN the NBA season tips off today - with the Los Angeles Lakers among the teams in action as they face the Los Angeles Clippers - it will mark the end of the shortest pre-season in US professional sporting history.

Just 72 days earlier, the Lakers - led by LeBron James - had celebrated winning the NBA title at Disney World in Florida.

Now, they are getting ready to start again.

As is tradition, the members of the title-winning team will each be given a diamond-encrusted ring on opening night to mark their achievement. Yet Covid-19 restrictions mean the celebration will be a quiet one - as the Staples Center will be empty.

This will be an NBA campaign with a difference. There will be 72 regular-season games instead of the usual 82.

Some arenas will have fans while others won’t. Only the first half of the season’s schedule has been published. And the season is scheduled to end in May. Here are a few of the narratives, players and teams that may play a key part in where the championship trophy ends up.

King James’ reign set to continue?

It’s testament to LeBron James’ natural-born talent and his documented hard work that, at the age of 35, he is still considered the league’s best player. This will be his 18th season as a professional.

When James signed for the Lakers in 2018, he said trophies would follow. Last year, he delivered on that promise.

A large portion of the credit, though, must be awarded to his running-mate Anthony Davis.

The Lakers have refreshed their roster - with some believing the team is better than last year. The talk around the league is that this title is theirs to lose rather than anyone else’s to win.

Indeed, the biggest threat to the Lakers’ championship credentials could be the team they share a building with - the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have a point to prove after their push for glory ended in September. The bookies’ favourite last season, they limped out of the play-offs against the Denver Nuggets - losing the best-of-seven series 4-3. (BBC Sport)

Verbal agreement in place for Joshua-Fury, says promoter Hearn THERE is a verbal agreement in place for Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury in a heavyweight unification bout, with promoter Eddie Hearn seemingly suggesting the Middle East as the likely venue.

Joshua’s ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev last week kept him on a collision course with Fury, who has not fought since defeating Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title, which is the only belt Joshua does not own.

Wilder has a rematch clause he can trigger for a third fight with Fury, however, Joshua’s promoter Hearn is insistent the only bout either camp is concerned about is one that will crown a Briton as the undisputed champion.

Speaking at the post-fight news conference for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s victory over Callum Smith, Hearn said: “They’ve been ongoing none stop, the next move is drafting of agreements which is going on right now. “[There’s] a lot of work to do

on that but only minor points in my opinion to resolve. So I think you’ll see over the next few weeks getting into that position where we can get into the market place and look at where that fight might take place. But as I’ve said before no one is looking at another fight from

either team other than that one.”

Asked about a verbal agreement, he added: “Yes, yes I mean we have a verbal.

“AJ has a fighting exclusive with Sky, Fury with BT, in America Fury with ESPN, AJ with DAZN. Minor again, then

Between them, Anthony Joshua (left) and Tyson Fury currently hold all four major heavyweight world titles

the silly stuff, who walks out first, who gets the better changing room. AJ thinks he’s the A side, Fury thinks he’s the A side.

Anthony Joshua [is the A side] - when you talk about as a global brand and the biggest draw globally in that fight, it’s clear it’s AJ. He has three of the belts - this is why AJ could fight in December and Fury couldn’t.

“It depends where it could take place, if it’s in the Middle East I think Ramadan runs until mid-May so the end of May, early June is target for that fight.

If it’s in the UK May-June is great as well.

“But the only way that fight can take place in the UK is if 90,000 fans can attend.

Even then guys could be taking 50 per cent of the purse in another territory, but right now with the UK going into another lockdown, who knows if we’ll see those kind of numbers?”(Sportsmax)

Jacques Kallis (left) averaged 55.37 with the bat in 166 Tests for South Africa from 1995 to 2013

At this stage, Kallis is not expected to be involved in England’s subsequent Test tour of India - although that may yet change, with the ECB having flagged the need to rotate their options for the foreseeable, to mitigate against the strain of living, practising and playing in bio-secure environments.

With that in mind, Graham Thorpe, England’s regular assistant coach to Chris Silverwood, has been rested for this leg of the winter, but is expected to be back on board for the India tour.

Jon Lewis, the former Gloucestershire and England seamer, travels as fast-bowling coach, while James Foster continues as wicketkeeping consultant in the wake of Bruce French’s retirement last summer, as does Jeetan Patel as spin consultant.

However, it is Kallis’s appointment which is the most eye-catching for the coming tour. He secured his status as an all-time great with 13,206 Test runs at 55.37 for South Africa, in addition to 292 wickets, while his mastery of Asian conditions is renowned, with eight centuries at 55.62 in 25 Tests in the region.

This time last year, Kallis was working as a batting consultant for South Africa’s Test team during their 3-1

Concerns over the viability of the tour, which was belatedly confirmed by the Sri Lankan government earlier this month after protracted negotiations, have resurfaced this week given the extensive travel bans being imposed on the UK by several countries, following the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus.

That includes England’s other new-year Test opponents, India, whose government has suspended UK flights as a temporary measure from December 22-31.

England’s squad are due to fly directly to India at the conclusion of their Sri Lanka tour on January 27.

ESPNcricinfo understands that a meeting is due to take place between Sri Lanka health authorities and those in the UK to discuss the implications of the latest Covid updates.

However, given the financial importance of the England tour to Sri Lanka’s finances, and the recent success of the Lanka Premier League, there is no suggestion yet that the tour is in peril.

An ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo: “We continue to plan as normal. We have regular meetings with Sri Lanka and there is another meeting planned for this week.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Black coaches have to be ready as the world is changing-Carlton Cole FORMER Chelsea and West Ham striker Carlton Cole says “now is the best time for aspiring black coaches” to find work, because “the world is changing”.

Since June, players in England have taken a knee before games in support of racial equality.

Thousands of people also took part in anti-racism marches in the UK after the death of American George Floyd in May. There are five BAME managers in the top four English divisions, but Cole hopes recent events are a “turning point”.

“It’s about time there was a lot of fuss about it [racial equality] and the whole world is changing,” Cole told BBC Sport.

And Cole, now working at West Ham’s academy, believes players can also do more to help themselves.

He explained: “The more black coaches become well versed in what they want to do, the better. You have to be ready for the opportunity.

“If you don’t have the qualifications or you aren’t relatable, and other people overtake you, you cannot complain. “[Former Newcastle and England striker] Les Ferdinand is the sporting director at Championship club QPR, but he had to go back to basics and learn about other aspects of football.

“I’m trying to get the qualifications to be effective in the boardroom and learn

the business side of football too. Right now is the best time for any black aspiring coach who wants to come up to the next level.”

Former West Ham striker Cole is currently working with the club’s academy

Cole, who scored 52 goals in 289 top flight appearances, retired from playing in March

Sri Lanka coach Arthur relishing Boucher battle in S Africa series

By Nick Said

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur is looking forward to slugging it out with his South African counterpart Mark Boucher when the teams start a two-test series in Pretoria on Boxing Day, hailing the former wicketkeeper for his aggressive style on the pitch.

Boucher was one of Arthur’s most trusted senior players when the latter coached the Proteas between 2005 and 2010 with excellent success in the Test arena.

“Mark Boucher and I go back a helluva long way and I am really looking

forward to locking horns with him,” Arthur told reporters on Monday.

“He was an aggressive player and I’m sure he will be an aggressive coach too.

It will be up to us to match that intensity.

“There is a wonderful

Sri Lanka’s cricket coach Mickey Arthur

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ANSWERS ANSWER S IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

2018, following a spell at Indonesian club Persib Bandung.

He says he is open to further employment oppor-

familiarity for me now walking into the grounds.

Africa never leaves you.

That knowledge of the conditions will hopefully be of great benefit to us.”

Arthur was in charge of Pakistan when they lost a test series 3-0 in South Africa last year.

Sri Lanka move straight from their bio-bubble on the Highveld to Galle for a test series with England that gets underway on Jan. 14, just seven days after the end of the second test in Johannesburg.

They therefore have a 21-man squad in South Africa and Arthur believes he is covered for all conditions.

“We have a very good seam bowling and spin attack, and I’m comfortable that our top six batters can prepare for any conditions,” he said.

“We want to create some consistency around selections and roles. England is a home series, where our strategy and game-plan will be a lot different to South Africa.

“But if you play well and get some wins along the line, irrespective of conditions, you take confidence and belief, which is very powerful within a playing group.”

tunities within the game, and has encouraged football club owners to further promote

diversity.

“Owners have to want diverse football clubs, in the boardroom, among the coaching staff and in the academy,” said Cole.

“You have to have diverse ethnicities because you never know when an employee might need help, and you have to facilitate that.”

‘People are scared of change’ Some football fans have booed players taking the knee since being allowed to return to matches, but Cole said people “have to have the capacity to accept change”.

The Professional Footballers’ Association says players are “overwhelmingly in support” of continuing to take a knee to highlight racial inequality, and while

Cole admits he was initially “against” kneeling, he now realises its value.

“When I see people booing, they just don’t understand it. They have got their own view on the political part of BLM, which is not what we are trying to promote,” added the 37-year-old.

“People are scared of change, as I am.

“It was when somebody sat me down and explained why it’s important, I began to understand.

“Now I retract my statement. It’s a message that has to be conveyed and it should be looked at as an educational device.

“As long as the Premier League are backing it, and it’s a symbol for change, why not carry on?”

De Kock wants to safeguard future cricket tours to S.Africa (AFP)-South African captain Quinton de Kock said on Monday he and his players felt a responsibility to ensure future tours of South Africa can take place by strictly adhering to Covid-19 protocols.

He said the South African team were remaining in quarantine in a ‘bio-bubble’ facility outside Pretoria ahead of a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka that starts in nearby Centurion on Saturday.

The players were adhering to a strict regime of room service meals, social distancing and training in small groups pending a Covid test on Tuesday.

Both teams are staying in the same country club facility but De Kock said there was no direct contact.

“We can see them but we have our own boundaries and we can’t mingle.”

The teams will stay at the same venue for the Tests in Centurion and Johannesburg, with both Test grounds within easy driving distance.

It is South Africa’s second experience of life in a bio-secure ‘bubble’ following the ill-fated white-ball series against England which was called off early because of positive coronavirus tests,

which were later found to be false positives.

Although Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa last weekend for the Test matches, doubts have been expressed about Australia fulfilling a planned Test series in South Africa early next year.

The South Africans assembled on Saturday last and were immediately tested for the virus. All tests came back negative but De Kock said full training would only start after the results of Tuesday’s second round of tests were received.

“Obviously we’ve got that bit of responsibility but it’s not much you can’t handle,” said De Kock.

“It’s just a small part we can play in ensuring future tours in bubble life and Covid times.”

The South African squad was reduced from 19 to 17 players when two tested positive for Covid last week. A team spokesperson said the names could not be released for medical and labour relations reasons but that a new squad list would be announced after the next round of Covid tests, which will enable deductions to be made about who is missing.

De Kock, South Africa’s regular white-ball captain, said he had agreed to be Test

captain as a short-term measure for seven Test matches during the current season, “until someone really puts up their hand. The guys are looking for a long-term leadership role and I won’t be doing that.”

Although the original reason for De Kock not being made Test captain was an overload of responsibility on him as a leading batsman as well as wicketkeeper, he said he would continue as wicketkeeper in the forthcoming series.

De Kock said his objective for the Test season was to hasten the development of young players, with South Africa needing to make up too much ground to be a factor in the world Test championship.

“We doubt whether we’ll be playing in the final of the championship,” he said. “We have young players who need to learn – and to learn fast. I want the new guys to come in and start putting up their names.”

De Kock said he expected the pitches in Centurion and Johannesburg to have pace and bounce. He said South Africa wanted to play clever, aggressive Test cricket in an attempt to reverse a 2-0 series loss when Sri Lanka toured in 2018/19.

Hamilton voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year

(REUTERS) - Lewis Hamilton was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, rounding off a remarkable year in which he became Formula One world champion for a seventh time.

Hamilton, 35, beat off competition from Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and jockey Hollie Doyle, who finished second and third respectively, to collect British sport’s premier annual award for a second time after winning it

Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the race Pool via REUTERS/Tolga Bozoglu

in 2014.

Hamilton won his fourth consecutive world title this year to match Michael Schumacher ’s record of seven crowns.

Premier League champions Liverpool were named Team of the Year and their manager Juergen Klopp won Coach of the Year. Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford won the Expert Special Panel Award for his school meal campaign.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Pollard named Red Force captain for Regional Super50 PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – West Indies white ball captain, Kieron Pollard, has been named to lead Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in next month’s Regional Super50 in Antigua.

Red Force skipper Kieron Pollard.

The 33-year-old replaces leg-spinning all-rounder, Imran Khan, who led the side in last year’s tournament when Red Force were knocked out in the semi-finals.

Pollard missed last year’s tournament while away on international duty with West Indies against India and Afghanistan.

Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president, Azim Bassarath, said Pollard’s appointment would be a huge filip for Red Force.

“We at the TTCB think that Kieron continues to be a great servant of the game of cricket and will continue to mentor and play a crucial role in passing on his vast knowledge to the youngsters who he believes have a bright future with the right mindset and application,” said Bassarath.

“The entire cricket fraternity welcomes Kieron to his latest role and we wish him the best in the upcoming Super50 Cup and onwards.”

Pollard’s appointment comes on the heels of his success with Trinbago Knight

Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, when he led them to their fourth title last September.

He also led champions Mumbai Indians for a handful of games in the Indian Premier League recently when Rohit Sharma was out injured.

The veteran all-rounder pointed to team unity as key to any success for Red Force in the February 4-27 champi-

onship.

“We need to build our camaraderie and give our best effort as a team to achieve success in the Super50 Cup,” Pollard noted.

He last featured in the Regional Super50 two years ago when he managed only 69 runs from seven innings and took three wickets.

Red Force are multiple-time winners of the regional competition but have

EFL postpone League Cup final until April MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The League Cup final has been put back by two months and will be held on April 25, in the hope that a later date will allow fans to attend, the Football League (EFL) announced on Monday.

The final of the competition, known by its sponsored name as the Carabao Cup, was due to be held on Feb. 28 at Wembley Stadium.

“It is the objective of the League to stage the final with as many supporters in attendance as possible and the decision has therefore been taken to move the final to... later in the year,” the EFL said in a statement.

“The number of fans permitted will be dependent on Government guidance in place at the time and it is hoped that moving the date to later in the year will give clubs and their fans the best opportunity to attend in person,” the EFL added.

The quarter-finals of the competition get under way on Tuesday with Brentford hosting Newcastle United and holders Manchester City at Arsenal.

Wednesday’s games include Championship side Stoke City at home to Tottenham Hotspur while Everton host Manchester United at Goodison Park.

not tasted success in five years.

The side will also be under a new head coach this year following the recent appointment of David Furlonge.

Red Force captain Kieron Pollard

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Sir Viv scored 8540 runs in 121 Tests at average of 50.23 for the West Indies

Windies batsmen are timid says the

‘Master Blaster’ Sir Vivian Richards

WEST Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards has described the current crop of Test batsmen as timid following the recently concluded debacle in New Zealand where the team lost by an innings in each of the two Tests.

For two decades, Sir Vivian, one of the greatest batsmen of all time, destroyed bowling attacks across the globe, plundering 8540 runs in 121 Tests.

The nature of his dominance was such that he once held the world record for the fastest-ever Test century, getting to the hallowed milestone from just 56 balls. It is against this background that that his criticism of the current

crop of West Indies batsmen is seen as being telling.

During the recent tour of New Zealand, the West Indies batsmen were harried and bullied by the pace and bounce of Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee, who between them took 38 wickets.

In the first Test at Hamilton, New Zealand, batting first on a green wicket, made 519 for 7 declared with Captain Kane Williamson getting 251 runs. In reply, the West Indies could only manage 138 and following on, 247, losing by an innings and 134 runs.

It was a similar situation in the second

Test at Wellington where after New Zealand made 460 all out reduced the West Indies to 131, and following on, 317, losing by an innings and 12 runs.

Of note, is that no West Indies batsman in four innings cumulatively managed to score more runs than Williamson’s score in the first Test. Jermaine Blackwood, who scored a century and a half century over the two Tests came closest with 216 runs.

Richards, in a recent interview with the Antigua Observer, said the West Indies batsmen were not able to withstand the hostility of the home team’s bowlers.

“We are struggling to play the short ball, and we look like the individuals we used to deal with. We are looking very timid and West Indians over the years have always been part of that destructive force when it comes to playing fast bowling,” said Sir Vivian.

“There are certain improvements in the team but we are seeing it in bits and pieces and we are not seeing those pieces being out together, we are not seeing that.”

Richards said it was becoming hard to watch the West Indies play under the current state of affairs. (Sportsmax)

GTTA president confirms Unusual year for Pollard named Red Force captain for restart tournament date Golf, with no to be announced soon Guyana Open Cup Regional Super50 SEE PAGE 24

GTTA president, Godfrey Munroe

SEE 24 E PAG

Reigning 10-time Guyana Open Cup champion, Avinash Persaud Red Force captain Kieron Pollard

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2020