Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 23-09-2022

Over $64B in pockets of Guyanese

THE Government, over the past two years, has placed more than $64B into the pockets of Guyanese through the removal of burdensome taxes, creation of part-time jobs and increases in pensions and education grants, among other interventions.

This is according to Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, who was at the time addressing scores of fishermen at the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground, on the West Coast Demerara on Wednesday.

The occasion was the rollout of the $150,000 one-off fisherfolk grant in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

The Vice-President pointed out that aside from the grant for fishermen, which is geared at helping them to cope with the increase in cost of living, a number of interventions have been made by the government to bring relief to all Guyanese across the country.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali with US President, Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a dinner hosted by President Biden in honour of Heads of State and Government attending the United Nations General Assembly, on Wednesday evening (President Ali’s Facebook page)

President, Dr Irfaan Ali celebrating the Guyana Amazon Warriors' victory with fans at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday night (Office of the President photo) forever!

No lands were taken away from Kuru Kuru Co-op members

THE Ministry of Labour (MoL) through its Coop Society Department was forced to institute an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to pre side over the Kuru Kuru Co-op Society (KKCS) after it was found that the previous manage ment committee lacked accountability and trans parency in the handling of the organisation’s lands and money.

Labour Minister Jo seph Hamilton, who pro vided this explanation was addressing remarks made by Leader of the Opposition (LoO), Au brey Norton, during his weekly press briefing last Tuesday.

The Opposition Leader

had claimed that lands were being taken away from Afro-Guyanese members of the KKCS and given to supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPPC) gov ernment.

“No lands were taken away from anyone, from any [Afro-Guyanese] peo ple. And I want to make this point so that people understand,” Hamilton noted.

The claim by the LoO formed part of his con tinued unsubstantiated claims of discrimination against Afro-Guyanese by the government. Minister Hamilton noted that while the Opposition sought to give the impression that the KKCS and other co-

op societies across Guy ana are Afro-Guyanese institutions, he noted that persons of all races form co-op societies across the country.

Particularly in the case of the KKSC, Guyanese of various ethnicities are part of the society.

“Through the length and breadth of this country you have co-op societ ies that have all different ethnicities. So to make this ludicrous argument about discrimination and the PPP racism against [Afro-Guyanese] people, these people like Norton attempt to fool people,” Hamilton said.

The minister added: “The Kuru Kuru Coop Society has Indo-Guya

nese, Afro Guyanese and persons who are Amer indians. So the first lie is to suggest that we have taken away [Afro-Guya nese] people’s land. The second issue is, there’s no taking away of anything. When I became minister I met this dysfunctional co-op society managed by some people who were close and are close to the APNU+AFC.”

As it pertains to lands owned by the KKCS, Hamilton explained that it was found that under the previous manage ment committee ques tionable handling of the lands occurred. This is in fact what led members to reach out to the MoL to deal with the issue.

OUTSIDERS

Hamilton explained that it was actually issues surrounding members accessing their lands and outsiders getting access to lands that led members of the co-op to reach out to the MoL to intervene.

“You had the sec ond-generation persons

who [were] born and grew up in the place whom the management committee was telling them that they could not get access to them (lands). But at the same time they were al lowing people who don’t live there, people who were residents of George town, there were allowing them access to land, and giving them lands there. You had persons who were living overseas for 40 years who were land owners in this co-op soci ety,” Hamilton revealed.

Management of Co-op Societies in Guyana is governed by the Co-op So cieties Act Chapter 88:01, which is enforced through the MoL, and managed by the Chief Co-op Develop ment Officer (CCDO). The Act empowers the CCDO to intervene and remove Management Committees of Co-ops in cases of im proper management.

A cooperative soci ety is a self-governing institution, formed by a group of people and is owned and controlled by the members. A manage ment committee is elected

by the members to oversee the operations of the co-op and report regularly to the members. However, ac cording to Hamilton, this was not what played out at KKCS under the previous management committee.

“The management committee at the time was running the [co-op so ciety] like it belongs to them. They had no rela tionship with the mem bers, no relationship with giving information to the members and they were engaged in all kinds of land dealings that the people who live in the community did not know about. Importantly, they were denying children of members of the society access to their lands,” the minister explained.

Minister Hamilton not ed that since assuming of fice, repeated requests were made by the ministry for information from the previ ous management committee (MC) of the co-op but noth ing was forthcoming.

According to Hamil ton, the members of the

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

E-ticketing system for traffic violations goes into operation

ERRANT Guyanese road users will be receiving

e tickets within the next few weeks for traffic of fences such as speeding, as an e ticketing system being piloted by the government is now operational

The system has already recorded some 1,500 users

committing traffic violations such as speeding and not wearing seatbelts

This system , which is free of human error and operates 24 hours a day, is expected to encourage driv ers to follow traffic laws , promote greater driver disci pline on the roads and lower

the number of accidents caused by dangerous and reckless driving

According to a statement by President, Dr Irfaan Ali on his official Facebook page , on the first day of testing, the system was able to record close to 10,000 vehicles traversing the new Mandela Eccles highway

“This system, which will be used for monitoring and enforcement by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), is part of President Irfaan Ali ’ s vision to use modern tech nology to improve the lives of all Guyanese,” the state ment said

The system , which has been in development for several months, uses cam eras and other technology to accurately monitor traf fic, check speeds and read licence plates of Guyanese vehicles

This allows for the sys tem to be able to flag any

traffic offenders and automat ically issue and email traffic tickets to the driver based on customisable parameters

“The automated genera tion and dispatch of e tick ets are expected to improve the efficiency with which fines and penalties are en forced, as well as contribute

to the modernisation of the GPF in carrying out its mandate to ensure public order and safety,” the state ment said

The system is also geared at improving coordination and collaboration among agencies involved in traffic ticket processing, such as the

GPF , the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and other governmental agencies

The system is expected to be expanded to many other busy areas, removing the need for police officers to monitor traffic and write and process tickets for traf fic violations.

Unifying Victory

THE Guyana Amazon Warriors ended a streak of defeat in fine style on Wednes day evening, when they reigned supreme over the Jamaica Tallawahs in front of a vibrant, enthusiastic crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Energised and revived by the roaring chants of thousands of fans from all walks of life, the “local boys” were able to march to victory and maintain a chance of making it to the playoffs and even securing the title this year.

The task at hand is obviously no easy one, as the competing teams are well equipped with talented players who are hun gry for victory, but, with the spirit of cricket well alive in Guyana, the warriors could rest assured that for the remaining games, there will always be a unified crowd cheering for them until the last ball is bowled.

Resounding support is guaranteed since Guyana, this season, is hosting seven group games, three knockout matches and, for the first time, the Hero Caribbean Premier

League (CPL) final, which will take place at the national stadium on Friday, September 30, 2022.

To add to the exuberance that often accompanies cricket in Guyana, the gov ernment has introduced a new concept, Cricket Carnival, which is showcasing the music, food and culture of this vibrant and fascinating country.

One thing that is also demonstrated amidst the celebrations is the unity among Guyanese that is derived from periods of festivity and, in this case, the evolution of cricket.

Whether rain or sun, Guyanese have proven themselves a patriotic population that converges to support their national teams and celebrate national events/holi days.

Cricket, especially, has been a magnet for persons from all walks of life, dating back to even the 1980’s/1990’s, when persons filled the stands at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to see West Indies take

on teams from across the world.

Time has progressed but the unity stim ulated by cricket has not changed. In fact, it has gotten even stronger, as persons not only unite physically, but also virtually across social media to share their views and express support for their beloved team(s).

“Cricket is much more than a game for us in Guyana, it is a passion, part of our cul ture and a unifying force,” President, Dr. Ir faan Ali had said at the launch of CPL 2022.

Persons who are unable to secure a seat at the stadium to witness the live action, gather at bars, community grounds, their neighbour’s houses and other places to watch and support their teams. In those moments, unity is at its peak, as persons, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, creed or political preference, share a fist bump, a high five or even cheers to celebrate a wicket or a boundary.

The togetherness witnessed at times like these is what President Ali hopes to foster throughout the year with his “One Guyana”

initiative.

The President, since being elected to of fice, has propagated a message of unity with the hope that every Guyanese would come together to end racial discrimination and work to develop Guyana under a common love for country.

“An essential part of my government is inclusion. Stop being defined by race; stop being defined by politics. Start being defined by our one nationality and by our common love for our one country. Let us lift it up to gether and by doing so, let us lift each other and ourselves: One people, One nation, One destiny,” President Ali said during his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament in February, 2021.

Just as a victory for the Guyana Ama zon Warriors would be unifying, the hope is that one day Guyana could celebrate the victory of having a unified population that only seeks to uplift each other and work in unison for the betterment of the country.

Glenn Lall has great difficulty understanding basic business terms

Dear Editor,

KAIETEUR News publisher, Glenn Lall, has launched a vicious attack on the Vice-President following his appearance on his radio programme where the Vice-Pres ident availed himself to be interviewed by Glenn Lall. The Vice-President exposed a barrage of falsehoods published in his newspaper on oil-and- gas-related matters and also offered very detailed explanations and clarity on the questions raised, as well as the rationale for some of the govern ment’s decisions on a number of issues.

Against the foregoing background in mind, reference is made to Kaieteur News article dated September 18, 2022, with the caption: “Government advertisement ex poses Jagdeo lies on private investment in gas-to-energy project.” Glenn Lall is con tending that the Vice-President lied when the question posed to him (Vice-President) on his programme on whether the government is inviting private investors to participate (via ownership) in the project, to which the Vice-President responded in the negative. Glenn Lall was adamant, however, that the government is inviting private investors to participate in the project via ownership. To this end, Glenn Lall referred to a Ministry of Natural Resources advertisement for expres

sions of interest soliciting private investments in the gas-to-energy project.

Having examined the expressions of interest (EoI), one would quickly recognise that Glenn Lall doesn’t seem to comprehend the difference between soliciting private in vestors’ participation via equity in a project to share the ownership, versus inviting pri vate investments to essentially invest in the Wales Development Zone (WDZ), which is an area earmarked for massive industrial de velopment. In other words, the government is seeking to build an entire industry around the gas-to-energy project and the only way this can be achieved is by having private invest ments in both light and heavy manufacturing, for example, and by-products of natural gas among others.

It is not surprising though that Glenn Lall has great difficulty in understanding these basic fundamentals. This was eloquently demonstrated by Glenn when he argued that the Marriott Hotel had private investors, inter alia, Republic Bank. The Vice-President pa tiently explained to him that Republic Bank was not a private investor wherein they par ticipated through equity financing. In fact, the bank was a financier to the project in the form of debt financing. Extending debt financing in a project does not confer ownership, only in the form of equity one can obtain ownership.

Another example that Glenn Lall often cites is the Berbice bridge. The Berbice bridge is the first-ever public-private partnership (PPP) model designed to finance and build a national development project in Guyana. Again, in this example which comprised pri vate investments, those private investors did not participate in equity finance and hence they do not own the bridge. The bridge is 100 per cent owned by the Government of Guyana.

In a similar manner, the government can solicit a consortium of private investments to build the onshore infrastructure or the gas plant, and they can have a different form of partnership that would allow them to have a decent return on their investment, while the government retains 100 per cent ownership of the facility.

The EoI that Lall is relying on to prove he was lied to by the Vice-President invited private investors for: (i) joint participation with the Government of Guyana and EEPGL in designing or utilising the outputs from an NGL/LPG facility. (ii) Design, construction, and financing of a power plant fuelled by natural gas, where the power will be deliv ered into the GPL grid. (iii) Industries that can utilise natural gas for natural gas-driven developments and growth. Joint participation does not necessarily mean joint ownership. Nowhere in the EoI was it advertised for

private investors to have ownership in the project. The project can be structured to have an optimum mixture of participation, but not private ownership. For example, the natural gas pipeline is financed and built by EEPGL which is an estimated US$1.3 billion on the higher end, but the Government of Guyana will have 100 per cent ownership of same.

Another critical clarification regarding fi nancing of the natural gas pipeline that Glenn Lall has mislead the nation about is that the government will be borrowing this sum and therefore it will be added to the stock of pub lic debt. This is a grossly inaccurate statement by Glenn Lall. The gas pipeline will in fact be financed from cost oil and not by way of any form of debt financing on the part of the government. The government does not have to repay this sum to EEPGL either, it is simply deducted from cost oil.

Moreover, this is another huge way in which the government has managed to secure greater benefits for Guyana by not having to use taxpayers’ funds or borrowed money to finance the gas pipeline, given the tremendous amount of economic benefits that will be derived from this project for the country.

Buzz and Excitement of CPL in the air around Guyana

THE buzz and excitement of the CPL is in the air.

The Caribbean’s highly awaited cricketing event, the Caribbean Premier League, brought cricketing fervour over the last couple of weeks before moving to Guyana for the final leg on Wednesday, September 20.

Fans have been waiting with bated breath to watch their favourite cricketers battle it out amongst one another. This is a time of boundless excitement for cricket fanatics across Guyana and around the

region as I found while moving around the country and in front of the stadium at Providence.

The last leg of the 2022 CPL moved to Guyana for action-packed cricket. And fans have not been disappointed. Fans turned out in record numbers to watch their favourite teams and players at Providence with butterflies in their stomachs. Fans watched with bated breath for the outcome of two matches on Wednesday, September 21. Barbados versus St Lucia in the day-header and

the night-header involving local favou rite Amazon Warriors. Guyana had four matches going into the evening and at the bottom of the table with just three points in six matches played.

It is do or die — must win all four remaining matches to have a chance at the playoffs next week. If they lose any of the remaining encounters, then Warriors can’t be a contender for the championship trophy. Some of the fans could feel the but terflies in their stomachs as Guyana went into the home opener. In fact, fans were

also pleased that Barbados’s win in the first match on Wednesday improved Guyana’s chance of a spot in the playoff next week.

Excitement was at a fever pitch around the stadium and all over the coun try as I travelled around on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I expect the same as I move around over the next week.

Yours Truly, Vishnu Bisram

OVER 1,000 part-time workers have been employed in Region 10 since the start of the government’s part-time jobs initiative, a senior regional offi cial has said

The official made this disclosure in response to several misrepresenta tions from Regional Chairman Deron Adams.

In a correspondence seen by this publication, the official said that Ad ams has sought to tarnish and vilify the initiative, much to the disappointment of the part-time workers.

The initiative is a commitment made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration to enhance employment opportunities across the country for persons who are desirous of improving their welfare and generating income.

It was noted that, contrary to the “unfounded” claim, there are 800 part-time workers in the region, as over 1,000 persons were hired, and are earning $40,000 for 10 days of work per month. In total, some $40 million per month is being added to the region.

Additionally, the programme has

no defined end period, and as such it is untrue that workers were, and will be terminated, the official explained.

The part-time workers have been placed in the education sector, from nursery to secondary, health posts, hos pitals, government agencies, and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), among other areas

The official added that persons are employed in Central Mackenzie, Wismar, Christianburg, Victory Valley, One Mile, Canvas City, Wis roc, Blue Berry Hill, Kara Kara and other communities in the region monthly to Region 10 economy though part-time jobs initiative

No lands were taken away from ...

co-op society had no in formation given to them by the previous MC.

STRAIGHTEN OUT

“So that is what we set out to straighten out. After they were not will ing or enthusiastic to ensure that the co-op society [was] run in a way that it is account able and transparent, the Chief Co-op Devel opment Officer utilised the authority and power that she has, that at any

time she can bring it un til management commit tee and have established an Interim Management Committee for a specific period to deal with mat ters identified,” Hamil ton explained.

He noted that most importantly, the audit of the co-op society had not been done for some time. Co-op society audits are required to be done annu ally and submitted to the CCDO.

“There had been no

audit so the people were unaware of what is the state. The members did not know what account they had, how much money were in these ac count[s]. All that type of information was being hidden from the member ship. The people couldn’t take it anymore so you had members who pe titioned the minister to intervene. And they’re allowed to do that,” Ham ilton said.

The CCDO subse

quently installed an IMC to oversee management of the co-op society until the society’s next election is held and the members select a new management committee.

“The Chief Co-op Development Officer in stalled the interim man agement community [sic] to develop the place and to bring the books of the place together and to put in place all the procedures as regards to managing the society in a way that is

transparent and account able,” Hamilton said.

Since being installed, the IMC has gone about doing much work along with the members of the co-op to carry out some of their goals, including carrying out works to see the establishment of a po lice outpost and a health centre in the Kuru Kuru community.

“These people have moved this co-op society from a co-op society that was limping. The former

management committee could not get dues collect ed from members because they had no confidence in them. From the period when the IMC came into being, they were able to get $9.4 million in dues. The bank balance is $28 million, moving from a position out of the red.

What you have here is an IMC that is manag ing and not mismanag ing like the former man agement committee,” Hamilton explained.

Region 10 Chairman Deron Adams

Holding on to his dreams while helping to ‘make ends meet’

–– young East Ruimveldt Secondary School graduate seeks financial assistance to fund pilot school

EMANUEL Macey, a for mer student of the East Ruimveldt Secondary School, dreams of becom ing a pilot, but because of his financial situation, he is depending on external financial support to make this dream a reality.

The 17-year-old recently wrote seven subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Edu

cation Certificate (CSEC) examinations and attained all passes. This too, however, was a dream of his which had to be funded by external sponsors.

Macey, a resident of East Ruimveldt, lives with his parents and five sibling. In the lead up to the CSEC examinations, his family’s financial struggles worsened,

leaving them in a situation which Macey simply could not ignore.

To support his family, the lad used his skills to start a small business called Topaz Electronics Repair. Macey, by repairing mobile devices and computers, was able to help his family make ends meet.

Despite the existing cir

cumstances, his ultimate goal is to become a pilot and he has already started pre paring to realise this dream.

Macey took the initiative to reach out to several flight schools which offer flight training to international stu dents.

“Epic Flight Academy sparked my interest, but the fee to attend the acade

Recreational ground at Mocha Arcadia Primary to be rehabilitated

THE recreational ground in the Mocha Arcadia Prima ry School will soon benefit from rehabilitative works, said Public Service Min ister, Sonia Parag, during her visit to the school on Wednesday.

“The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Minister Charles Ramson and myself, we were here on this ground,

and one of the issues raised was the need for rehabilita tion of the school ground. And you would be happy to know that Minister Ramson came with his team to assess the ground so that they can rehabilitate it in the shortest possible time so that it can become fit for purpose,” she told teachers and pupils of the school.

The ground will be uti lised to conduct sports, as well as recreational activities for the entire community.

The rehabilitation is part of a commitment made by the sports minister and President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, during a recent outreach to the community.

“We have to develop this recreational facility immedi

ately…. We need to devel op this facility so that our children can play in a safe way,” President Ali had said.

Some $192 million has been earmarked for infra structural development in Mocha.

my is far beyond my finan cial reach and as such I am seeking sponsorship or a scholarship from any person, business, or the government so I can fulfill my dream of being an airline pilot,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

Macey related that to attend Epic Flight Acade my, which is located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US, he must have a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification, and he must be able to obtain a FAA medical certificate.

The duration of the courses at the academy would be between six to 12 months depending on his efficiency.

Macey, should he be able to enroll, would be partak ing in three courses at the

academy and those are the private pilot course cost ing US$23,918, the instru ment rating course costing US$14,940, the commercial pilot single-engine course which costs US$15,040. Persons who are in terested in supporting the young man to achieve his dream could contact him at +592-683-4060 or by email at Emanuelmacey@gmail. com.

There is also his “Go Fund Me” page which has been set up, https://gofund. me/6a73e256, and a bank account with the number 001083495010.

Aspiring pilot, 17-yearold Emanuel Macey

Renewable energy jobs hit 12.7 million globally

WORLDWIDE employ ment in renewable energy reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in one year, de spite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the growing energy crisis, according to a new report.

Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2022 identifies domestic market size as a major fac tor influencing employ ment generation in renew ables, along with labour and other costs. Solar energy was found to be the fast est-growing sector. In 2021 it provided 4.3 million jobs, more than a third of the current global workforce in renewable energy.

The new report was published by the Interna tional Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in col laboration with the Interna tional Labour Organisation (ILO), during the Global Clean Energy Action Fo rum in Pittsburgh, USA.

With rising con cerns about climate change, COVID-19 recov ery and supply chain dis ruption, national interest is growing in localising supply chains and creating jobs at home.

The report describes how strong domestic mar kets are key to anchoring a drive toward clean energy industrialisation. Develop ing renewable technology export capabilities is also dependent on this, it adds.

Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-Gen eral, said; “In the face of numerous challenges, re newable energy jobs remain resilient, and have been proven to be a reliable job creation engine. My advice to governments around the world is to pursue industri al policies that encourage the expansion of decent renewables jobs at home. Spurring a domestic value chain will not only cre ate business opportunities and new jobs for people and local communities. It also bolsters supply chain reliability and contributes to more energy security overall.”

The report shows that an increasing number of countries are creating jobs in renewables. Almost twothirds of all these jobs are in Asia. China alone accounts for 42 per cent of the global total, followed by the EU and Brazil with 10 per cent each, and the USA and India with seven per cent

Europe now accounts for about 40 per cent of the world’s wind manufacturing output (ILO photo)

each.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, said: “Beyond the numbers, there is a growing focus on the quali ty of jobs and the conditions of work in renewable ener gies, to ensure decent and productive employment.

The increasing share of fe male employment suggests that dedicated policies and training can significantly enhance the participation of women in renewable energy occupations, inclusion and ultimately, achieve a just transition for all. I encour age governments, workers’ and employers’ organi sations to remain firmly committed to a sustainable energy transition, which is indispensable for the future of work.”

The report highlights some notable regional and national developments. These include Southeast Asian countries becom ing major solar photovol taic ( PV) manufacturing hubs and biofuel producers. China is the pre- eminent manufacturer and installer of solar PV panels and is creating a growing number of jobs in offshore wind. India added more than 10 Gigawatts of solar PV, gen erating many installation jobs, but remains heavi ly dependent on imported panels.

Europe now accounts for about 40 per cent of the world’s wind manufactur ing output and is the most important exporter of wind power equipment; it is try ing to reconstitute its solar PV manufacturing industry. Africa’s role is still limited, but the report points out that there are growing job op portunities in decentralised renewables, especially in support of local commerce,

agriculture, and other eco nomic activities.

In the Americas, Mex ico is the leading supplier of wind turbine blades. Brazil remains the lead ing employer in biofuels but is also adding many jobs in wind and solar PV installations. The USA is beginning to build a do mestic industrial base for the budding offshore wind sector.

The report highlights that the expansion of re newable energy needs to be supported with holistic policy packages, includ ing training for workers to ensure jobs are decent, high quality, well paid and diverse in pursuit of a just transition. (ILO)

$1.5B pumped into hinterland water coverage

IN its quest to increase hinterland water cover age by 100 per cent by 2025 , the Government has injected some $1.5 billion into its hinterland water programme since August 2020.

This money has resulted in the drilling of new well systems and upgrades to existing systems in Re gions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Taku tu-Upper Essequibo). Sev eral riverine Amerindian communities within the coastal regions are being looked at for upgrades to

the systems.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, while speaking on the side lines of the commissioning of the Annai water distri bution system in Region Nine, said the investments are based on an assessment done on water coverage across the hinterland.

Based on that assess ment, Minister Croal said, the Guyana Water Incor porated (GWI) crafted a five-year strategic plan to guide the hinterland and coastal water programme.

“We have an assess ment of the entire coun try’s level of service

and networking that is required to ensure that we have expanded dis tribution. Because, while you may have water in a community, it may not be to the entire village, or that cluster.

So, that is what guides us and informs us as to when we are preparing our budgetary requests,” he said.

Minister Croal went on to explain that while the focus is on coverage, an important component of the programme is to ensure that residents are receiving water of acceptable quality.

Therefore, emphasis is

placed on those commu nities that depend on the creeks or rivers for water for domestic use, he stated.

“Many of the riverine communities, for exam ple, their main source of water is from the river As the years go by, the quality of that water gets bad, because of the num ber of mining activities;

the amount of movement within the river… So, we have been putting more and more systems in those areas, as well as seeking to tap into the natural flow, if they’re spring water as well as using from the moun tains,” the minister noted.

In the case of Region Nine, Minister Croal said, some $200 million was ex

pended to improve the wa ter service there. This has resulted in water coverage in that region moving from 40 per cent to 70 per cent.

Moreover, another $270 million to construct several new wells and ex pand coverage in several areas has been allocated.

As the minister ex plained, “$150 million is part of our 2022 Budget, and through the support coming from the initiative by President Irfaan Ali, during his outreach where he made several commit ments, we have another $120 million or thereabout that will be pumped into Region Nine.”

The initiatives, he said, are aimed at providing a better quality of life to the citizens.

It is also in keeping with the Government of Guyana’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG)’s Goal Six: Water and sanitation for all.

GWI has crafted a five-year strategic plan to guide the hinterland and coastal water programme

Pot explodes, house burns down

A FAMILY of Crabwood Creek, East Berbice, Corentyne, is counting their losses after a pressure pot reportedly exploded, causing a fire which de stroyed their home.

In tears, Nalini Sarju, 42, of Lot 101, Grant 1806, said she lost everything with in a matter of minutes. She explained that around 07:00 hrs on Thursday, she put beans to pressure on the stove and left to go downstairs to take a shower.

After she finished bathing, she was on her way upstairs when she heard an ex plosion, then saw the pot on the ground, and flames.

The woman said that her first instinct was to get her children to safety.

“I left them on the verandah. Since

the pressure pot does give off steam, I didn’t want them to be in the kitchen,” she said.

She said neighbours formed a bucket brigade, and attempted to quell the blaze, but they were unsuccessful in their bid to save the house or any belongings.

“The whole house catch fire; nothing can’t save. Everything bun; we nah get to save anything. It happen so fast,” she said amid tears.

Sarju and her husband, Hemchand Bacchus, have been living at the house for over 10 years, and have managed to accumulate the necessary furniture and household items to make a comfortable living. They are extremely distraught over their losses.

The couple’s 11-year-old, who is ex pected to start high school on October 3, lost all her school items in the fire. They also have a seven-year-old child.

He quickly headed for home, but when he reached there, he saw his house reduced to rubbles. The family is seeking whatever help they can get, and can be contacted on 653-7440.

Sarju also suffered minor burns to her back during the blaze. Her husband was not at home at the time of the blaze, but he received a call informing him of the fire.

Agrifood systems transformation can help resolve Latin food 'paradox'

LATIN America is an agricultural powerhouse yet has suffered a sharp rise in hunger in recent years, highlighting the need for robust actions to transform the region’s agrifood systems to be more efficient, more in clusive, more resilient and more sustainable, QU Dongyu, Direc tor-General of the Food and Agriculture Organ isation of the United Na tions, said Tuesday.

“The increase in hun ger, poverty and malnu trition is a paradox for a region that contributes significantly to the world’s food supply and produces enough food to feed its entire population,” the Di rector-General said at an event hosted by the CAF Development Bank of Lat in America on the side lines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

No region of the world was hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than Latin America and the Ca ribbean, where economies

shrunk twice as much as the global average, pover ty rose to its highest level since 2006 as employment was ravaged, especially in the informal econo my, and 65.6 million peo ple suffered from hunger, with almost five times that number – or more than 40 per cent of the population – facing moderate or se vere food insecurity, Qu

said, adding that gender disparities have deterio rated.

The war in Ukraine, along with other conflicts, have exacerbated the blow from the pandemic and added further unpredict able challenges, especially for those countries in the region that are net import ers of wheat, maize and vegetable oils, all of which

have been subject to price shocks in the past year.

Even the region’s prowess as a net food ex porter is at risk due to ris ing fertiliser costs, which could affect production and yields of food staples and trigger both a food availability and food af fordability crisis, the Di rector-General added.

Priority areas for accel

erated action

FAO’s Director-Gener al pointed to four priority areas that need accelerated action: providing immedi ate support to the vulnera ble through social protec tion systems, especially in rural areas and among vulnerable groups; boosting agricultural production by ensuring that family farm ers have affordable access to seeds and fertilisers, working capital and techni cal assistance, and links to markets; facilitating trade in agricultural products and inputs to prevent further disruptions to food pro duction; and investing in climate-resilient agriculture to address and reverse the effects of the climate crisis.

He assured those pres ent that FAO was commit ted to work with members in the region and beyond to achieve “long-term in clusive and sustainable development”.

Qu’s opening remarks were given at a confer ence held by the CAF to identify challenges, strat egies and urgent coordi

nation actions needed to promote food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He spoke along with Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America; World Food Programme Execu tive Director, David Bea sley and Manuel Otero, Director-General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agri culture (IICA).

Keynote speeches at the event were given by Guillermo Lasso, Pres ident of the Republic of Ecuador, and Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana.

The CAF Develop ment Bank of Latin America, made up of 18 countries in the region as well as Spain, Portugal and 13 Latin American private banks, is in the process of a $7 billion capital increase to ex pand its activities in the promotion of sustainable development and region al integration in an array of sectors. (FAO)

The house engulfed in flames

Rotary Club donates 50 wheelchairs to Health Ministry

THE Rotary Club of Georgetown in collabora tion with the Mohan Thani foundation on Tuesday donated 50 wheelchairs to the Ministry of Health for distribution to remote areas across Guyana.

According to a press re lease from the Rotary Club of Georgetown, persons who have physical mobility challenges still have to vis it hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and, in some cases, homes for senior citizens. And wheelchairs are just one tool to assist the caregivers to help such individuals to regain some level of inde pendence.

The Rotary Club of Georgetown was overjoyed to offer relief to persons who will eventually receive those wheelchairs. This donation takes the total amount of wheelchairs donated so far for this year to 60.

“The Rotary Club of Georgetown has made nota ble contributions to society, such as the construction of the Convalescent Home, construction of water wells

in areas such as Old England/ Siberia, Coomacka and Kuru Kururu,” the release said.

The organisation also made numerous donations

over the years to several organisations throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

Among the things donat

ed so far are food supplies to many senior citizens’ homes; Christmas gifts to hospital ised children, and medical equipment to the George

town Public Hospital Cor poration (GPHC) and other institutions.

The organisation has also supported many Rotaract and

Interact clubs, conducted several medical outreaches, and coordinated many other projects over the past 63 years.

“The Mohan Thani Foun dation [on the other hand] is a non-profit organization which was formed as a tribute to the late Mohan Thani. The organ isation was founded by his son, Gautam Thani, in 2014 and has helped numerous families in countless ways through monetary contribu tions or services. In 2019, the Mohan Thani Foundation started a wheelchair project which provides wheelchairs to individuals who need these and also to organizations and hospitals nationwide,” the release stated.

The foundation aspires to enhance its philanthropic efforts through the provision of new equipment and tech nologies, which would be used to improve the lives of those in need.

The club will continue to partner with the Mo han Thani Foundation and other organisations to offer “service above self.”

OMNI Helicopters Guyana Inc was delighted to make a grant to the Art Williams & Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School (AW&HWAES) to improve the student welfare facilities there.

The cheque was presented by Peter Gay, Deployment Manager for Omni, to Nalini Chanderban, Accountant and General Manager for the school.

Also present was Gerry Gouveia Jr of Roraima Airways, joint venture partner with Omni.

Members of the Rotary Club of Georgetown with Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, and Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department at the Health Ministry, Ariane Mangar

Six vying for inaugural Miss Cricket Carnival crown

AS part of Guyana’s Crick et Carnival activities, six women from across the Caribbean region are set to compete in the inaugu ral Miss Cricket Carnival pageant.

This was revealed in a press release from the Miss Cricket Carnival organising

committee which stated that delegates representing six Caribbean Premier League (CPL) nations will be vying for the coveted crown as part of the Cricket Carnival cele brations here.

Chalisa Parris will repre sent the Gateway of the Ca ribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis;

Tyra Spaulding will represent the Land of Wood and Water, Jamaica; Beviny Payne will represent the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados, while the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will be represented by Melanie Lawrence. Claire Marissa Smartt will represent the

Helen of the West Indies, St. Lucia, and Miss Jamzone Amel Griffith will represent Guyana.

According to the pag eant’s coordinator, Wasim Khan, “It is a great opportu nity to highlight the CPL na tions not only for the cricket, but also for what each coun

try has to offer as a tourism destination.”

He further noted that it is also an opportunity to welcome sister Caribbean na tions to experience the unique Guyanese culture.

The delegates will com pete in four segments: car nival cultural wear, bikini

swimsuit, talent and evening wear.

The Miss Cricket Car nival pageant is set for Sep tember 26 at the National Cultural Centre at 8 pm. Tickets cost $2,000, $2,500 and $3,000.

Chalisa Parris, Miss St. Kitts and Nevis

Melanie

Lawrence, Miss

Trinidad and Tobago

Tyra Spaulding, Miss Jamaica

Claire Marissa Smartt, Miss St. Lucia

Beviny Payne, Miss Barbados

Amel Griffith, Miss Guyana

Music brings unity to everything and everyone

— says Guyanese musician Lee Fung-A-Fat

FOR Lee Fung-A-Fat, mu sic is more than just about entertainment. It brings him the sort of happiness that he wishes everyone else can ex perience. Thus, he uses it as a means of promoting good vibes and unity.

He was introduced to music at a young age through the piano and was inspired by wonderful teachers such as Marilyn Dewar of Dewars’ Music School and his squash coach Carl Ince, who would teach him how to play the guitar during their breaks.

With his love for music nurtured from such a tender age, Lee began collaborating with his friends to push for local content music with the goal of giving Guyana ‘a taste’ of the rock scene as well as its other genres.

“I have been lucky to play at weddings and proms and now collaborate with our Rock con certs to give Guyana a live music taste,” he shared in an interview with the Buzz earlier this week.

He added, “Music brings me happiness and I want to give others that feeling as well. It is an honour to hear fans and

attendees tell us how much they’ve enjoyed our performance and can’t wait for another show.”

Lee is a part of three local bands that have racked up quite a respected reputation over the years. There is ‘Project X’ - a heavy metal/alternative rock band - and then there’s ‘Keep Your Day Job’ where Lee plays punk rock.

“It’s the best of both worlds and I recently started my own band called the ‘Warm up Band.’ My new band enjoys playing covers, whether it’s Blink 182, Nirvana, Artic Monkeys; psy chedelic music such as Tame

Impala to the Oldies but Goldies such as The Beatles, Queen, etc.

I enjoy music and I challenge myself to learn it and play it and even sometimes sing it,” he shared.

Lee is happy to have been a part of “Feed the Flames”, his old band which he said “had the opportunity to be the new guys on the scene who were quickly accepted by other legendary bands such as Brutus.”

“Seeing others sing along to the song you play and even get up and dance allows us to feel honoured to play it. And having other friends start their bands

Queen’s death derails ‘King’

(Jamaica Observer)SELF-PROCLAIMED

King of the Dancehall

Beenie Man has resched uled an upcoming UK appearance after not being granted his visa on time.

According to the Gram my-winning artiste, the hiccup was caused by the 12 days of mourning in Ja maica after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, which ended on Monday, Septem ber 19, 2022

“We had to reschedule the event. The embassy [British High Commission] in Jamaica is experiencing a backlog due to the 12 days of mourning for The Queen. This has caused a significant delay in the issuance of the work visa,” Beenie Man’s first tweet sent out on Wednesday morning read.

The concert was initial ly scheduled for September 22 at Eventim Apollo in London, England. The new date is November 27.

Beenie Man further said other acts for the show, which was heavily advertised, did not receive their visas either.

“I would not be able to work the event. Other sup porting acts did not receive

their visa [sic] on time either. It has been very chaotic since the passing of The Queen. We did not believe we were able to ex ecute the event as planned. As such, the next best thing to do was to reschedule,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we still need a work visa to perform in the UK. My team and I had everything planned and organised. However, I believe due to The Queen’s passing, the mourning period, and the administrative changes, it has caused a delay in the issuance of the visa.”

Beenie Man said his team did everything in its power to make the show possible. However, all ef forts proved futile.

“We expedited the pro cess, we made contact with the embassy, we were told to give it until Tuesday, still a delay. If I came to the UK and performed, I would be deported or locked up. These things are out of my control,” he concluded.

The period of mourning ran from September 8 until September 19 as stipulated by the Governor General Sir Patrik Allen. The UK had 10 days of mourning.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Septem ber 8 at 96 years old after a seven-decade reign.

She visited Jamai ca six times during her reign: 1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994, and 2002.

because we encouraged them to just pick up an instrument and go for it…,” are what Lee described as being among some of his notable accomplishments in the industry so far.

In future, he wants to work on having many local bands come together for one big fes tival where Guyana can host and invite other bands in neigh bouring countries to participate. “Perhaps it can be an annual festival to showcase our talent to the world. I strongly believe music brings unity to everything and everyone.”

As a word of advice to bud ding musicians, he said: “Just go play! Go and show everyone what your talent is; whether it’s to sing or play the guitar! Don’t be afraid to take chances and don’t let anyone hold you back.

Always remember why you en joy what you do and keep at it. And lastly, be humble about it.”

Lee is currently gearing up for the “Rocktober” show scheduled for October 15 at Black Magenta (Georgetown Club).

The Project X Band

Guyanese musician, Lee Fung-A-Fat

Beenie Man (Jamaica Observer photo)

Shakira vows to fight ‘false’ Spanish tax accusations in first public comments

(Reuters) – COLOMBIAN superstar Shakira vowed to fight what she claimed were “false” accusations by Spanish authorities that she dodged 14.5 million euros ($14.31 million) in taxes, in her first public comments on a case that could see her sent to prison for up to eight years.

Shakira, 45, is facing trial in Spain accused of failing to pay taxes between 2012

and 2014, a period in which she said she was leading a “nomadic life” because of her work.

“I have to fight for what I believe because these are false accusations,” the ‘Hips don’t lie’ singer told Elle magazine in an interview published online in the Unit ed States on September 21, 2022, and due to run in its October print edition. “I owe zero to them.”

The prosecutor’s docu ment, seen by Reuters, asserts that Shakira spent more than half of each year in Spain between 2012 and 2014, and in May 2012 bought a family home in Barcelona.

In July last year, a Span ish judge said he had seen “sufficient evidence” for Shakira to face trial. A second judge rejected her appeal against the decision in May.

Shakira, who in July re

jected a deal with the prose cutor to settle the case, says the authorities only came af ter her “with their eyes on the prize” when they found out she was dating FC Barcelona soccer player Gerard Pique, who is Spanish.

“While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour.

I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident,” she said.

“The Spanish tax author ities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what,” the singer

claimed.

Shakira added that she had already paid what the Spanish tax office said she owed before they filed a lawsuit.

She said she was confi dent that she had behaved correctly and transparently from the beginning, suggest ing the Spanish authorities “resorted to a salacious press campaign” to damage her reputation.

The combination of her recent separation from Pique, a custody battle for their two children, the illness of her father and “fighting on dif ferent fronts” meant she was facing “probably the darkest hour of my life,” the singer said.

A spokesperson for the Spanish prosecutor’s office was not immediately avail able for comment.

(Reuters) - When audienc es tune into HBO Max’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff “The House of the Dragon” on Sunday, there will be a few changes.

The two actors, Emily Carey and Milly Alcock, who portrayed the young frenemies, Queen Alicent Hightower and Princess Rhaenyra respectively, have been recast as the show time jumps a decade for ward for its sixth episode.

Olivia Cooke will now take over the role of the Queen and Emma D’Arcy will be playing the Princess. While they are playing the same characters at differ ent stages of their lives, the producers decided they didn’t want the pairs to meet during production.

Alcock told Reuters, “There was no baton to pass on. I didn’t speak to Emma. I have only met them a few times, which is why this whole experience has been so weird, being like ‘Oh we play the same person, but I’ve never really met you’.”

Confirming these stip

ulations, Carey said at the “House of the Dragon” pre miere “It was sort of made very clear quite quickly that it was a choice and not an accident that we hadn’t met and I think what it is, is that in 10 years you change a huge amount, es pecially when you’re seeing someone go from little girls into fully fledged women, there’s a huge amount of changing that happens. It was almost essentially like we were playing two dif ferent characters, two very, very different people.”

Cooke, however, was unaware that the pairs of

actors weren’t supposed to interact with one anoth er, despite filming at the same time, and said she had talked to them at times. She only learned about the arrangement at the Holly wood premiere.

“I just heard that they were told to stay away from us and me and Emma never got the memo to stay away from them, so we were just like ‘Oh my god, how are you finding it? What’s going on?’ and maybe that was really bad for their pro cess.”

Shakira poses on the Red Carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film “Elvis” Out of Competition (REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw photo)

Why ‘House of Dragon’ separated the older and younger actors for Alicent and Rhaenyra

Cast member Olivia Cooke attends the UK premiere of ‘House of the Dragon’ in London, Britain August 15, 2022 (REUTERS photo)

Hope, Gurbaz smash fifties as Warriors gun down Kings 194 with 6 wickets to spare

-Faf du Plessis 103 not enough for Kings

By Clifton Ross

TWIN half-centu ries from Ramanul lah Gurbaz and Shai Hope upstaged a sub lime century by St. Lucia Kings captain Faf du Plessis, as the Guyana Amazon War riors strolled to an empathic six-wicket win last night at the Providence Stadium, completing their highest run-chase in CPL history.

It was an incredible chase by the home team who surged to 195-4 in 19.2 overs after a brutal knock of 52 of 26 balls

(7x2 2x6) by 20 yearold Afghanistan opener Gurbaz, who set the pace for his team.

Hope, adjudged Man-of-the-match, fol lowed up his half-cen tury from Wednesday's game, stroking 59 not out off 30, finding over the ropes on five occa sions, with two fours to compliment anoth er matching-winning knock for Guyana.

Batting first on argu ably the best surface to date, the Kings racked up an imposing 194-5 in 20 overs, thanks to their Captain's genius open ing knock with the bat.

Providence yet again proved to be a magical place for batting, but the Warriors, just like they did the previous game by spoiling Bran don King's century, did basically the same to du Plesiss who took an L despite playing a brilliant knock.

The former South African captain, toyed with the Amazon War riors bowling, cracking a stylish 103 with 10 fours and six towering sixes; eating up a mere 59 balls for his 2nd T20 hundred.

Sri Lanka wick et-keeper Niroshan

Dickwella, redeemed himself following a string of low scores, grafting 35 off 32 with five fours as he shared a 2nd wicket stand of 132 with Captain.

Guyana Amazon Warriors bowlers strug gled to make inroads, with Bangladeshi in ternational Shakib AlHasan bagging 2-33, to end as his team's most successful bowler.

Gurbaz led a daunt ing chase from the in ception, pouncing on anything loose as he and Chandrapaul Hem raj (29) piled on 81-runs for the 1st wicket.

Warriors captain Shimron Hetmyer hit one six and two fours in his knock of 36, add ing 63 with Hope, who raised his form tremen dously heading into the crucial stages of the tournament, notching up more than 100 runs from his first two games played at Providence.

Guyana will now turn their attention to arch rivals Trin bago Knight Riders, who they face tomor row night in anoth er must-win battle at Providence, starting at 19:00 hours.

Federer to bow out in style with Nadal by his side

By Martyn Herman

(REUTERS) - Swiss icon Roger Federer will bring the curtain down on his glittering career by teaming up with great rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup today.

The 41-year-old an nounced last week that the team event being played at London's O2 Arena would be his last.

Federer's suspect right

knee, the injury that forced him to call time on a 24year career that included 20 Grand Slam singles titles and worldwide admiration, means he will feature in only one match at the threeday clash between a Bjorn Borg-captained Europe and John McEnroe's Rest of the World.

But the fact he will bow out for his last competitive match with record 22-time Grand Slam champion Nad

al alongside him is a dream scenario. They will take on American duo Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in today’s last match.

"It's going to be a dif ferent kind of pressure to be part of this historic moment," Nadal, who has shared an epic career-long rivalry with Federer, told reporters.

"It's going to be some thing amazing and unfor gettable for me. I'm super excited. maybe we can create

a good moment and maybe win the match."

Federer cut a relaxed figure as he sat with his European team mates in cluding 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and three-time major winner Andy Murray.

He had said the previous day that it would be beautiful to play his last match on the same side of the net as Span iard Nadal and captain Borg, unsurprisingly, obliged.

"I'm not sure if I can handle (all the emotions) but I will try," Federer, whose presence had fans flocking to watch practice sessions yesterday, said.

"This one feels a whole lot different. I'm happy to have him on my team and not playing against him.

"To be able to do it one more time, I'm sure it will be wonderful and I'll try my very best."

Giroud becomes France’s oldest scorer in history

OLIVIER Giroud be came the oldest scorer in France's history as they

beat Austria to boost their hopes of avoiding Nations League relegation.

Les Bleus dominated, with Kylian Mbappe hav ing an early goal ruled out for offside and Aure lien Tchouameni's bicycle kick being tipped onto the bar.

Giroud set up Mbappe for a fine opener, tak ing on several defenders

before firing in from 16 yards.

AC Milan striker Gir oud, 35, brilliantly headed in France's second.

At 35 years and 357 days, he is 70 days older than Roger Marche was when he scored against Spain in December 1959.

Giroud is now only two goals behind Thierry Henry's France record of 51.

France, who would have been relegated if they had lost, move above Austria going into Sun day's Group A1 finale in Denmark.

Croatia lead the group following a 2-1 win against Denmark, who would have sealed top spot themselves had they won in Zagreb.

Defender Borna Sosa put the hosts ahead with

his first international goal.

Manchester United mid fielder Christian Eriksen levelled with a sensational long-range strike, but two minutes later Lovro Majer scored the winner from outside the box.

Croatia just need to beat Austria on Sun day to qualify for next year's finals and book a Euro 2024 play-off place.(BBC Sport).

THE Indian Premier League (IPL) will return to its original, pre-COVID-19, home-andaway format from the 2023 season, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has conveyed to the board's affiliated state units.

The IPL has been held at only a few venues since the out break of COVID-19 in 2020 as the lucrative league took place behind closed doors across three venues in UAE - Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. In 2021 too, the tournament was held across four venues - Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Chennai - before it was again moved to the UAE because of COVID-19 cases in teams' camps.

However, with things "going back to normalcy", the IPL will return to its old format in which each team plays one home and one away match. Ganguly also mentioned the "BCCI is current ly working on the much-awaited Women's IPL" to hold it "early next year".

FULL DOMESTIC SEASON

Temba

IN 2023

"The next season of men's IPL will also go back to the home-and-away format with all ten teams playing their home matches at their designated ven ues," Ganguly's note said to state units.

The note gave them a "snap shot" of the ongoing domestic season.

The BCCI is conducting a full-fledged domestic season

for the first time since 2019-20 and all multi-day tournaments will also return to the traditional home-and-away format

Women's IPL will start early next year and new Under-15 one-day tournament for girls.

The BCCI is also working to host the inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Women's IPL "early next year". The tour nament is likely to take place in March after the women's T20

World Cup ends in late February in South Africa.

"The BCCI is currently working on the much-awaited Women's IPL. We are expecting to start the first season early next year," Ganguly wrote in the letter dated September 20.

The Women's IPL is expect ed to raise the standard of wom en's cricket in India. Besides the Women's IPL, the BCCI is launching a girls' Under-15 oneday tournament.

"We are glad to introduce a girls’ U15 One Day tournament from this season. Women's crick et has seen phenomenal growth across the world and our national team has been performing well. This new tournament will create a pathway for our young girls to play at the national and interna tional level," Ganguly wrote.

The inaugural women's Under-15 event will be played from December 26 to January 12 across Bengaluru, Ranchi, Rajkot, Indore, Raipur and Pun. (Cricinfo)

ARRESTS and reported in cidents of disorder at football matches in England and Wales last season were at the highest level for eight years.

There were 2 198 foot ball-related arrests, the highest number since the 2013-14 sea son, according to Home Office figures.

The 2021-22 campaign saw the return of capacity crowds after a year of COVID-19 re strictions.

Last season's disorder included players being ap proached after pitch invasions.

A fan was jailed after run ning on to a pitch and headbut ting Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp at the end of Not tingham Forest's play-off match against the Blades.

TEMBA Bavuma has spoken of his "disappointment" and having felt "let down" at not being picked in the inaugural SA20 auction earlier this week.

Bavuma, the South Africa limited-overs captain, had set his base price at Rand 850 000 (US$48 000 approx.) but did not find any takers each time his name came up - he was part of the auction's accelerated rounds after going unsold the first time.

"I'll be lying if I say that I didn't have any feelings of disappointment," Bavuma said while talking to reporters ahead of South Africa's departure for a white-ball tour of India.

“I certainly was expecting to play a role in the tourna ment. From my side, there are definitely feelings of disap pointment and also feelings of almost being let down in a way. I don't think that comes from any point of entitlement from my side."

Bavuma formally took charge of South Africa's lim ited-overs side in March last year and has so far led the country in 13 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He has, however, been out of international action since South Africa's T20I tour to India in June due to an in jured elbow.

A rare case of a national

white-ball captain not getting picked in his country's T20 league, Bavuma indicated that he had more to say on the issue but that, for now, he would rather focus on the task ahead - the India tour followed by the T20 World Cup in Australia.

"I am cautioning myself to not delve too deep into this whole matter," Bavuma said. "As much as I'd like to speak more about it, this is probably not the right time. Our focus right now is on India and the World Cup. We are doing what we need to do there."

Mark Boucher, the outgo ing South Africa head coach, was coy on Bavuma's non-se lection for the SA20, but in sisted that the entire team was firmly behind their captain.

"Temba Bavuma is our leader, and I back him 100%," Boucher said. "Yes, there is a lot of talk on social media about all the stuff, about this and that; I don't really care. He is our leader, and we back him in this team like you can't believe.

"The guys were there last night, we were having a couple of drinks, and I could just see the energy around him because I understand the situation he is going through. The bottom line is we are on a journey, and we have been on a journey the last two years."

Boucher, who will join Mumbai Indians (whose own ers also own a team in the SA20) as head coach after he leaves his current post, also said that while he respected the SA20 league and the selection processes in it, it was necessary to separate the national team from the various T20 leagues.

"One thing I can say is that leagues, they come and go, and I am in full understanding and respect of this new league that has come up. I think it is needed. But let's separate the national team from the league," he said.

"What happens in leagues and auctions, you can't control; unfortunately, it is what it is. From a Proteas perspective, we do back him 100% and going into a massive tournament like a (T20) World Cup, he will be

a massive part of our team."

While Bavuma agreed with Boucher's statement about the group being behind him, he also insisted he was not expect ing any sort of sympathy nor does he have to prove anything to anyone.

"The guys in the team, our friendship, our relationship goes far beyond just being team-mates," he said. "We are friends off the field. The guys just being there in terms of their presence for me has been enough. I don't expect words of sympathy or anything like that.

"The biggest thing for me is to serve the team as best as I can. I still have the respon sibility of being the captain of the team. I would endeavour to do the best I can, as I be lieve I have been doing.

A Manchester City fan, who ran onto the pitch and taunted Aston Villa keeper Robin Olsen on the final day of the season at Etihad Stadium, received a four-year football banning order.

Incidents were reported at more than half of all matches (53%) – 1 609 of the 3 019 matches played.

Around 70% of fans ar rested last season were aged between 18 and 30.

In 2018-19 - the last full season before COVID-19 re strictions - there were 1 381 arrests and reported incidents at 1 007 matches, equivalent to one-third of the games played.

It means reported incidents were up by 60% last season compared with 2018-19.

There were 441 pitch inva sions reported last season - up by 127% on 2018-19 Football-related arrests were up 59% - the highest num ber of arrests, since 2 273 were made in 2013-14.

516 new banning orders were issued - down on 549 in 2018-19

Top three clubs for new banning orders - Millwall (33), Leicester City (28) and Everton (26)

The most reported types of incidents were pyrotechnics (729 matches where incidents were reported), throwing mis siles (561) and public order or anti-social behaviour incidents involving youth supporters (444).

TREND COULD CAUSE ISSUES FOR 20 YEARS

has told the BBC unless action is taken with some of the young er fans involved in disorder "we will have a problem with them for the next 20 years".

"Some people suggested it might die down and it was a post-COVID effect," Roberts told the BBC. "Sadly we have seen it continue and there are some concerning statistics."

Asked why the numbers are increasing, Roberts said: "There are a range of reasons. This isn't just in the UK. We speak to police and colleagues across Europe and UEFA and it's being seen across the continent.

"I think we know certain drive factors we have seen for a long time. Certainly alcohol and the use of class A drug, Cocaine, is playing a part in driving it.

"More young people are involved in disorder and crime and the highest proportion of arrests were in younger males. The concern is that if people are behaving that way now, unless action is taken, we will have a problem with them for the next 20 years.

"You can speculate that maybe some people were younger who went to games with parents pre-COVID but they have grown up a bit more. You could argue there have been fewer police in the ground over the years.

"With stewarding, we know there have been challenges and a lot of people have left that industry during COVID and that has given people the space to engage in poor behaviour."

A change in the security industry is also something Geoff Pearson, professor of Law at the University of Manchester, says could be a factor.

"There has been a break down in the security industry more generally and it's in crisis," Pearson told the BBC.

"It's affecting football the same way it is affecting other leisure industries. It simply doesn't have the personnel it needs to be able to service the leisure industry in this country and that includes football.

"A lot of established secu rity personnel left the industry during lockdown and they do not want to come back, another reason is Brexit as a lot of our security industry were people from Europe that came, sometimes seasonally, and they aren't here any more." Home Office

Football Policing

Premier League managers talking during the 2021-22 season on pitch invasions and fan violence

Temba Bavuma went at auction earlier (ICC/Getty Images)

SURREY sealed their 20th outright County Champi onship title when they beat Yorkshire by 10 wickets in side three days at The Oval.

After bowling out the Tykes for 208, skipper Rory Burns hit 30 in 16 balls as the hosts made the 55 needed to win.

Surrey's first title since 2018 was made possible by rivals Hampshire losing by 77 runs at home to Kent.

Dan Worrall had earlier finished with 4-61 to help dismiss Yorkshire, who had resumed on 89-2.

Surrey's triumph, their first trophy under head coach Gareth Batty, was completed with a game to spare as they won for the eighth time this summer in 13 unbeaten redball matches.

Yorkshire's chances of turning the match around suffered an almost imme diate blow when Cameron Steel, surprisingly given the first over of the day from the

Vauxhall End, bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore for 11 with a googly.

Adam Lyth resisted for almost an hour before both he and Will Fraine fell in the space of two balls.

Jordan Clark jagged one back off the seam to bowl Fraine before Roach swung one away to remove former England Test opener Lyth for 46, caught at third slip.

Yorkshire skipper Jonny Tattersall then touched a legside lifter from Jamie Over ton to keeper Ben Foakes be fore Worrall angled one that kept a little low into Jordan Thompson's pads.

England spinner Dom Bess fought hard with 43 from 71 balls, but could only fend off a steeply rising ball from Roach to Foakes. Worrall then bowled both

Ben Mike and former Tykes skipper Steve Patterson to finish off the innings.

With Tattersall taking off his wicket-keeping pads to bowl some leg-breaks and improve Yorkshire's over rate, it then took cap tain Burns and opening partner Ryan Patel only 36 balls to knock off the runs required - and start the celebrations. (BBC Sport)

Mayweather wants to fight McGregor in

FLOYD Mayweather says he wants to fight UFC star Conor McGre gor in an exhibition bout next year. Mayweather, 45, stopped McGregor in the 10th round of the final fight of his profes sional career in 2017.

a picture on Instagram from their previous fight with the caption "#notin terested".

BABAR Azam hit 110 not out and Mohammad Riz wan an unbeaten 88 as Pa kistan pulled off a remark able 10-wicket victory over England to level the sides' Twenty20 series at 1-1.

Chasing 200, Pakistan's opening pair produced a bat ting masterclass in Karachi to seal the win with three balls to spare.

Babar reached a sublime century from 62 balls, de lighting the raucous home crowd, while Rizwan hit four sixes in a whirlwind 51-ball knock.

It meant Pakistan set a new record for the highest chase in all men's T20s with out losing a wicket.

England, who had never previously lost a T20 by 10 wickets, were put to the sword - Alex Hales' drop of Rizwan on 23 proving crucial.

The tourists had looked heavy favourites at the half way stage when racking up 199-5 as Moeen Ali smashed 55 not out from 23 balls and Ben Duckett an enterprising

43. The sides play again in less than 24 hours with the third match of the sev en-match series taking place today, again in Karachi.

ENGLAND PUT TO THE SWORD

England's bowlers had impressed in the first T20 but here they were unable to threaten or stop the flow of runs on a pitch that became faultless after looking tricky early on.

Leg-spinner Rashid was not his usual self - he was hit for two sixes and three

fours in a three-over spell which cost 34 runs - while the left-arm pace attack of Sam Curran, Luke Wood and David Willey offered little.

Wood, so impressive in taking three wickets on de but on Tuesday, was handed the penultimate over with 20 runs needed but conceded 17 including three wides.

England are without a host of frontline bowlers who they hope will be fit for next month's World Cup, such as Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley. Wood's pace and Jordan's ability to stem

the flow of runs was partic ularly missed.

Little fault can be put on the batters, who propelled England to a good score.

After Hales and Daw id Malan were bowled in consecutive balls by seamer Shahnawaz Dahani, Ben Duckett impressed with an innings of sweeps and re verse sweeps, hitting seven fours and no sixes.

The 27-year-old was bowled by Nawaz attempt ing another sweep but af terwards Moeen powered England on.

The left-hander slogswept leg-spinner, Usman Qadir, for back-to-back sixes early on, as he put on 59 with Harry Brook, who sparkled again for 31 from 19 balls.

Moeen repeated the feat off the final two balls of the innings, off the pace of Mohammad Hasnain, to reach his half-century but that knock was soon overshadowed by the the brilliance of Babar and Rizwan. (BBC Sport)

Having competed in several exhibitions since retiring, Mayweather says he is in talks to fight Mc Gregor again.

"We don't know if it's going to be an exhibition or a real fight," he told the Daily Mail. "I would prefer an exhibition."

McGregor later posted

Mayweather suggested Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, as a potential venue for his rematch with McGregor.

"They already talked to me about my number that I'm going to receive," Floyd told TMZ, adding, "9 figures."

"You know we gotta start at least 100 million for Floyd Mayweather."

(BBC Sport)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

( Friday September 23, 2022)

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

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 2017 & 2018 24 times

Today’s Quiz:

Who is the first TKR player to cop the Man of the Match Award in CPL 2022?

Who is the only Barbadian franchise player to have won the Man of the Tournament Award in CPL?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Floyd Mayweather easily beat Conor McGregor in his final fight as a professional

Surrey have won the County Championship title with a game to spare

Rutherford powers Patriots to victory over TKR

THE St Kitts and Nev is Patriots secured a sev en-run win over the Trin bago Knight Riders (TKR) to stay in contention for a 2022 Hero Caribbean Pre mier League (CPL) play-off spot.

Patriots won the toss and chose to bat in this must-win game, but were restricted early on as the Knight Riders rotated five bowlers across the power-play.

Sherfane Rutherford changed the complexion of the innings with a brilliant 78 off 50 balls, aided by a spec tacular cameo from Dewald Brevis 30 (off six balls, 5x6), to take the Patriots to 163-6.

In their chase, the TKR struggled to build partner ships as wickets fell regu larly. Despite this, they re mained with a chance of winning the match as Tim Seifert and Andre Russell scored crucial late runs, but it proved to be in vain as they could only muster 156-7, los ing by seven runs.

Patriots were frustrated

by the bowling of the Knight Riders in the first 10 overs, reaching 43-3 and having lost the key wicket of Evin Lewis.

Rutherford then shoul dered the responsibility of carrying the innings as he patiently scored runs before accelerating in the last three overs, to finish on 78. Brevis remarkably scored 30 runs

from just six balls, constant ly clearing the boundary to propel the Patriots to 163-6.

TKR lost the early wick ets of Leonardo Julien and Colin Munro in their chase, with spinners Kevin Sinclair and Rashid Khan restricting the runs. Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran then lost their wickets as the TKR

found themselves in serious trouble.

Seifert kept the chase alive with a valiant half-cen tury. Despite Russell scor ing 18 runs in the 19th over, it was not to be enough, as Sheldon Cottrell delivered a composed final over to take the Patriots to victory by seven runs. (CPL)

Olympic medallist Williams joins

NORTH SOUND, Anti gua, (CMC) – Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack triggered a late collapse but New Zealand Women held their nerve to come away with a two-wicket win in the second OneDay International here Thursday and an unas sailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

In pursuit of a mod est 170 for victory at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, the visitors ap peared to be cantering to their target at 164 for four in the 37th over.

However, leg-spinner Afy Fletcher knocked over top-scorer Maddy Green for 48, triggering a slide which saw four wickets tumble for three runs in 17 balls.

The 27-year-old Ram harack snatched three for 22 – the last three wick

ets – before New Zealand Women managed to stum ble home at the start of the 41st over.

Earlier, West Indies Women struggled to 169 for nine off their 50 overs after choosing to bat first, captain Hayley Matthews top-scoring with a patient 46 from 82 balls and the in-form Chinelle Henry chipping in with a breezy

30 from 35 balls.

The hosts endured the worst possible start when Rashada Williams (13), Natasha McLean (4) and Shabika Gajnabi (7) fell cheaply, as the innings slumped to 29 for three in the 11th over.

Matthews tried to patch up the innings, posting 38 for the fourth wicket with former skipper Stafanie

Taylor (10) and a further 47 for the sixth wicket with Henry who lashed five fours.

However, off-spinner Eden Carson (3-31) hit Matthews in front and then picked up another two wickets as West Indies Women slipped to 129 for seven at the end of the 39th over, before Fletcher (19) and Shakera Selman (18) put on a precious 36 for the eighth wicket.

Selman then returned with the ball to make two crucial strikes as New Zea land Women stumbled out the blocks to be 51 for three at the end of the tenth over.

But the 29-year-old Green won it for the visi tors, facing 78 balls while adding 66 for the fourth wicket with Lauren Down (33) and another 47 for the fifth wicket with Brooke Halliday (24).

OLYMPIC sprint relay gold medallist, Briana Williams, is about to launch a new chapter of her track-and-field career under the guidance of new coaches to begin the 2022-2023 track season.

The 20-year-old star will join Michael Frater and Gregory Little at the Kingston-based Titans In ternational Track Club with the blessing of her now former coach and mentor Ato Boldon. She retains her agent HSI Sports and man agers LEEP Marketing.

“Briana, by her own admission, has grown comfortable over the last season and needs to be more challenged, so with my blessing and encour agement, she’ll be joining Michael Frater and Grego ry Little’s group,” Boldon said.

“From the beginning, she and I knew I’d have to hand her off to someone who could coach her full time and as she turns 21 soon, now is the time.

This is the next chapter in her development and I’ll continue to advise and guide her, as I have done since she was 10.”

Boldon has been Wil liams’ mentor and coach for the past decade. During that time, she ran a World U15 age-group 100m re cord of 11.13 in 2018.

That same year, she won three gold medals -100m, 200m and 4x100m - in the U17 category at the CARIFTA Games and was named winner of the cov eted Austin Sealy Award.

Later that year, at age

16 and competing at the U20 World Champion ships in Tampere, Finland, Williams won the 100m in 11.16 before setting a new national U20 record of 22.50 while winning the 200m.

In doing so, she broke the previous U20 record held by the iconic Veronica Campbell-Brown. Williams won three more gold medals at the 2019 CARIFTA Games.

But according to the young star, it was time for a change.

“I'm excited about this new chapter and happy to be training in Jamaica,” said Williams.

“I have to thank coach Ato for how much he has done for me and my career so far. He will always be a father-figure to me.”

Titans International boasts an impressive ros ter that includes Yohan Blake, the 2011 World 100m champion and sec ond-fastest man of all-time, and Akeem Blake, the 2022 NACAC 100m champion, who was also a semi-final ist in the 100m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Under the guidance of Frater and Little, Ke mar Bailey-Cole, the 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m champion, has been resurrected after years of injury and illness threat ened to end his once-prom ising career.

Williams, a Nike ath lete, is a Digicel Brand Ambassador and a Brand Ambassador for Grace Foods.

Briana Williams (right) with her former coach Ato Boldon

Sherfane Rutherford changed the complexion of the Patriots innings with a brilliant 78 off 50 balls. (Photo: CPL/Getty Images)

Warriors opener Ramanullah Gurbaz raises (Photo CPL/Getty

St Lucia Kings captain Faf du Plessis celebrates his superb century at the Providence Stadium last night (Photo CPL/Getty Image)