Guyana Chronicle News 07-25-2021

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, 2021 25, 2021 Sunday Julynd July 25 Sun Sudayay July 25, 2021

25th July, 2021

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No.106432

Largest fibre-optic sensing system for Payara project 03 PAGE

$20M water distribution system commissioned in St. Ignatius 08 PAGE

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Region Nine Chairman, Brian Allicock, along with other officials brave heavy downpour to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially commission the new water distribution system, on Saturday (DPI photo)

$500M for 21 T&T nationals must be Guyana to benefit from fully vaccinated 02 $1.6B project to strengthen road works in before entering Guyana women-led enterprises 11 Region One PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

T&T nationals must be fully vaccinated before entering Guyana

NATIONALS of Trinidad and Tobago are now required to be fully vaccinated before they will be allowed to travel to Guyana, according to a gazetted regulation added to the 2021 Civil Aviation Health and Safety regulations.

The updated regulations were made on July 22, 2021 and signed by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill.

The amendment states: “... passengers, except for children, travelling to Guyana from Trinidad and Tobago who are not nationals of Guyana are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to be allowed

entry into Guyana.”

On Saturday, this newspaper sought clarification on these updated regulations from Minister Edghill, who explained that the new regulation is meant specifically for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago and not for those who may stop in the Caribbean country due to an in-transit flight.

As such, a passenger who is not a national of Trinidad and Tobago, who is travelling from another country, does not need to be fully vaccinated. That passenger would only need to produce the negative PCR test.

For context, an individual

is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received both doses of a twodose vaccine or two weeks after receiving the vaccines that are given only in one dose, such as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

This updated regulation adds to the existing Civil Aviation (Health- Safety Measures for Airports and Aircraft during a Health Pandemic) Regulations for airports and aircraft that mandate passengers take other precautionary measures in light of the public health pandemic.

This includes producing a negative polymerase chain

Passengers being sanitised after arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) reaction (PCR) test from a recognised medical institution 72 hours prior to travel.

Meanwhile, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said that protecting the lives of every Guyanese, no matter the cost, remains the mandate of the Government of Guyana in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As such he noted that consideration was being given to stricter COVID-19 measures.

On the topic of stricter measures against unvaccinated persons, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has already recommended

that its member companies stipulate that their employees who refuse to be vaccinated provide evidence of a “medically-current COVID-19 negative test” from infection before reporting to work.

Further, the PSC has urged that the government make it mandatory for all medical and security personnel in frontline contact with other persons to either be vaccinated or provide evidence of a medically-current COVID-19 negative test. “… and that all places providing hospitality and

entertainment services, including restaurants, require evidence of either vaccination or a medically-current COVID-19 negative test from its customers in order for them to receive service,” the PSC advised.

Referring to the proposals from the PSC, President Ali said: “At some point, in order to protect the people, you may see us raise the level for social places like restaurants from 40 per cent to 60 per cent, but we add another tier and say that in order to be in there, you have to be vaccinated.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Largest fibre-optic sensing system for Payara project

By Navendra Seoraj

SET to come on stream in 2024, ExxonMobil’s Payara project will bring with it not only the natural bounties which lie below the seabed offshore Guyana, but also new and industry-leading technologies such as the fibre-optic sensing system, which was developed by Halliburton and TechnipFMC. According to a joint statement from TechnipFMC and Halliburton, the Odassea (TM) subsea fibre-optic solution, an advanced, downhole fibre-optic sensing system, which copped the OTC spotlight on New Technology Award, was selected by ExxonMobil as the solution for its Payara development project.

Late last year, ExxonMobil, following an agreement with the Government of Guyana, decided to proceed with the Payara field development offshore Guyana. Payara is ExxonMobil’s third project in the Stabroek Block, and is expected to produce up to

220,000 barrels of oil per day after start-up in 2024. The US$9 billion development will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels.

“We are excited to win OTC’s Spotlight Award and deploy Odassea(TM) in Payara, the industry’s largest subsea fiber optic sensing project,” Vice-President of Halliburton Wireline and Perforating, Trey Clark said.

Further, he related: “By collaborating with TechnipFMC, we combine our sensing and subsea expertise to enhance reservoir insight and to lower the total cost of ownership for our customers.”

The Odassea (TM) service integrates hardware and digital systems to strengthen capabilities in subsea reservoir monitoring and production optimisation. TechnipFMC and Halliburton are delivering Odassea(TM) solutions to multiple other subsea projects at all stages, from conceptual design to execution.

The Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, The Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel Halliburton provides the fibre-optic sensing technology and analysis for reservoir diagnostics, while TechnipFMC provides the optical connectivity from the topside to the completions. Through this collaboration, operators can accelerate full-field subsea fibre-optic sensing, design, and execution.2 “To win the SONT award and to help our client enable an enhanced level of reservoir understanding are great achievements,” Senior Vice-President of TechnipFMC Subsea Product Management, Christina Johansen said, adding: “Solutions such as Odassea(TM) transform our clients’ project economics and demonstrate how we are continuously driving change in the in-

dustry.”

Locally, ExxonMobil’s first offshore project at the Stabroek Block, Liza Phase One, began producing in late 2019, well ahead of the industry’s average for development time. Liza Phase Two remains on track to begin producing oil by early 2022.

Liza Phase Two will produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day at peak rates, using the Liza Unity FPSO. First Lady of Guyana, Mrs. Arya Ali, was officially designated as the Liza Unity’s “Godmother,” as it prepares to set sail from Singapore for Guyanese waters.

So far, Guyana has recorded US$344,161,633 in direct earnings from its petroleum sector. And, with oil prices on the rise globally,

Guyana could see the returns from its burgeoning petroleum sector growing, starting with earnings from the sale of its seventh oil lift, which could rake in around US$75 million.

According to Westmount Energy, Guyana, with its positive prospects and vast potential, remains one of the few areas of “blue-chip” interest in high-impact exploration.

Investopedia defines bluechip stocks as secure investments, because they pay out dividends as well as consistently and steadily grow over time.

It was reported recently that Guyana’s role in the global petroleum industry could be bigger than it appears on the surface, as an

analysis done by global energy research and consultancy group, Wood Mackenzie, shows that the country is among five nations which will produce most of the remaining deep-water oil resources.

“We found that 80 per cent of the remaining deep-water oil resources will come from five countries (Brazil, the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, Guyana, Nigeria, and Angola).

Therefore, understanding the quality of their reservoirs is key to identifying who has the best oil,” Vice-President of Subsurface Research for Wood Mackenzie, Dr Andrew Latham, is quoted as saying in a report from Wood Mackenzie.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

GOAL to recruit academic counsellors –– as scholarship awardees begin to receive selection letters

AS the government’s 20,000 online scholarship programme progresses, efforts are being made to ensure that the 4,500 awardees for this year are properly guided and assisted in their academic endeavours.

To this end, the Guyana Academy of Online Learning (GOAL), which was established to facilitate the five-year period of the scholarships, will be moving to employ academic counsellors to serve in each of the education districts of Guyana.

“The counsellors are expected to conduct tutorial sessions, formulate and mark assignments, advise and counsel students throughout the period of their studies,” a published notice read. It explained, too, that the academic counsellors are also expected to be committed to the learner-oriented approach and to be advocates of the system.

The employment of such persons, on a part-time basis, is likely to coincide with the August-September 2021 commencement of the respective courses.

The rolling out of the programme, the brainchild of President Dr. Irfaan Ali, marks the fulfilment of campaign promises made by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) prior to the hosting of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The initiative paves the way for Guyanese learners to have access to a number of internationally-recognised institutions, such as the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, as well as the Indira Gandhi National Open University, the JAIN University, and the Sherlock Institute of India.

At no cost to them, Guyanese applicants had the opportunity to choose from 104 available programmes. As part of the GOAL platform, 20,000 Online scholarships will be awarded over the next five years; this will see at least 4,500 persons benefitting each year.

Since it was launched in April, this landmark initiative has attracted some 8,800 scholarship applications, which is twice the number of scholarships earmarked for this year. This has been attributed to the robust outreaches which saw various ministers of government going into various communities to launch the initiative and kick start registration.

Director of GOAL, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, had previously explained that approximately 60 per cent of all the applications were submitted online, with the majority of them, understandably, coming from persons residing in Region Four

Sunday July 25, 2021 –– 04:00hrs - 05:30hrs

(Demerara-Mahaica), which accounted for approximately 3,400 applicants.

Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) followed with the submission of 1,044 applications; Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) with 786; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 674; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 577; Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 429; Region One (Barima-Waini), 300; Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 296; Region Eight (Potaro Siparuni), 109; and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) 110.

Professor Opadeyi reported that of all the submissions received, 80 per cent of the applicants are eligible for the programmes of their choice.

SELECTIONS The Ministry of Education has already vetted the applications and have handed them over to the Ministry of Public Service, which has established a panel of fully qualified persons who have been given the responsibility of choosing the successful candidates. As it is, the Public Service Ministry has already begun contacting applicants to inform them of their success during this first year of the programme. “[The team] will determine, by various factors, who

Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag is awarded the scholarships,” Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag, informed the Guyana Chronicle. She said in a previous interview that persons will be chosen based on their ability to fulfil the criteria for the programmes being offered.

“Information extracted from the application form and motivational statements will be used to determine this,” the Public Service Minister told this newspaper.

Dr. Opadeyi has explained that “there is a rubric of five conditions that must be used before you get a scholarship. One is a Grade Point Average (GPA). So, persons are ranked based on their GPA; then, we rank you based on your income.

Of course, if you have a high GPA; more points. Then we rank them based on the

region of origin; where they come from.”

Minister Parag indicated, too, that the government’s aim is to ensure the fair distribution of the scholarships.

“It is imperative that there is regional balance in this selection process,” she insisted.

Similar assurances were given by Dr. Opadeyi, who highlighted the government’s efforts at levelling the playing field by providing technical support to the regions in need. The reputable educator also gave an example where several applicants, particularly those from Regions Seven and Eight, did not have email

addresses to include in their applications.

Because emails are a critical and formal means of communication between students and the overseas-based universities to which they are becoming enrolled, efforts were put in place to ensure that email addresses were created and given to the prospective scholars.

Nonetheless, Minister Parag had explained that even though there has been a healthy surplus of applications, those who were not successful this year will have to reapply in 2022.

The Public Service Ministry has begun contacting recipients of its Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Five more COVID-19 deaths, 240 new cases recorded

FIVE more persons have died from COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 523, the Ministry of Health

has announced.

The latest fatalities are two 73-yearold women – one of whom died on June

29 and the other on July 2 - along with three men, a 45-year-old who died on July 21; a 60-year-old who died on July 22; and an 86-year-old who died on July 23. All five persons were from Demerara Mahaica, Region Four and died while receiving care at a medical facility.

Meanwhile, there are currently 1,066 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana following the addition of 240 new cases as at July 24, 2021. Even as new cases were recorded, 137 persons were reported to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 20,503.

The 240 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten. 121 of the newly confirmed cases were females with the remaining 119 being males.

Region Nine accounted for 173 of the new cases. Regions Two and Five recorded two cases each; Region Three recorded 18 new cases; Region Four recorded 29 new cases; while Regions Six and Ten recorded 12 and four new cases, respectively.

It was reported that the 240 new cases were recorded from a total of 2,263 tests.

The country has now recorded a total of 22,090 confirmed cases since the first

COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020.

Eleven persons are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. Currently, there are 75 persons in institutional isolation; 978 are in home isolation and two are in institutional quarantine. Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, they are not exhibiting symptoms.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from July 1, 2021 until July 31, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current measures, however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes.

Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important.

The current curfew time 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; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Cheap Energy

THE importance of cheap, reliable and clean energy to propel national development is all too obvious and does not require any justification, except for the pessimists in our midst and those who see obstacles in every opportunity.

Had it not been for the abrupt and ill-conceived termination of the Amaila Falls hydro-electric power project initiated by the PPP/C administration, Guyana would have already benefitted in substantial ways from the supply of cheaper and cleaner energy. Amaila Falls is located on the Kuribrong River, a tributary of the Potaro River in west-central Guyana.

The PPP/C administration is once again seeking proposals to restart the project. The Office of the Prime Minister has already issued a Request for Proposals (RFPs) to design, build and finance the project. The projected completion date is 2025 with a commencement date set for the second half of 2022. The project will be constructed on the basis of a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT)

investment model.

The Amaila Falls project was conceived by the PPP/C administration as a transformational project which, apart from providing cheap electricity, would have linked three regions of Guyana, namely Regions Seven, Eight and 10.

The road project which had commenced was roughly 80 per cent completed until it was aborted by the APNU+AFC administration, immediately on its ascension to power in May 2015. The project was aimed at incorporating sustainable and cheaper electricity into the national grid as part of the government’s low-carbon development strategy.

As to why the previous administration chose to terminate the project, especially given its manifest benefits to the country and its people, will forever remain a mystery, but it does speak to a level of shortsightedness and lack of vision, especially when seen against the background of the growing energy needs of an expanding economy.

It is an established fact that Guyana, through its dependence on imported fossil fuel, remains at a disadvantage in terms of economic competitiveness.

Cheap and reliable power continues to be an impediment to accelerated economic and social development. As pointed out by Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh in his 2021 Budget presentation, the dependence on aged fossil-fuel-based generation capability, along with inadequate generating capacity has resulted in supply shortfalls, a porous transmission and distribution network and high technical and commercial losses.

The Guyana Government must be commended for its decision to re-commence the 165-MW Amaila Falls hydro-electric project. In all likelihood, the project will now become a reality under the presidency of Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali which will be a flagship project when completed. In addition to the Amaila Falls project, the government is also

exploring other smaller hydro-projects.

According to Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who has oversight responsibilities for the energy sector, data has already been collected for other sites such as Paruima and Waramadong in Region Seven, Monkey Mountain in Region Eight and Eclipse Falls in Region One. In addition, the government through the Guyana Energy Authority (GEA) is conducting energy-needs assessments in several hinterland communities across the country. It is the expectation of the government that it will be in a position to provide more than 4000 megawatts of newly installed capacity for residential and commercial industrial users over the 2020-2025 period.

These initiatives and policy interventions, when completed, will further add to the existing mix of power-generating capacity, which together with that of oil and gas will catapult the growth trajectory of this country to new and higher levels.

Dr Jagdeo had the courage to face problems squarely Dear Mr. Editor, THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will soon celebrate one year of being in office; one cannot help but reflect on the journey that culminated in this victory.

It all started when the PPP/C party lost the March 2015 General and Regional Elections. Losing an election is never something easy and we are well aware of how devastated that was, not only for the party comrades, but also for the committed supporters.

The leadership quickly garnered its equilibrium and formulated a strategy to regain power. The master politician, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, stepped forward. He was successfully voted as leader and General-Secretary of the PPP/C at the Congress held in Essequibo.

He immediately reformed the party and started on the campaign trail with that successful

weekly press conference. He did that with great tenacity and heroism. He became even more popular within the party and the public at large.

Dr. Jagdeo had the courage to face problems squarely and to remove viruses that erode the party’s health. He kept strengthening the party’s ability to lead politically, to guide through theory, to organise the people and to inspire and promote a fresh group of leaders, thus, ensuring that relevance, vitality and strong ability are forever maintained.

Successively, the Central Executive of the PPP/C voted and Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali was elected leader with an 80 per cent majority; issues which arose were settled amicably. Then came the no-confidence motion and elections were delayed because of various mathematical interpretations by judges. However, the final court ensured that justice prevailed. A new Chairman was

appointed to GECOM and a date was set for Guyana’s long-awaited national and regional elections.

Another hurdle had to be settled and that is where we see the mastery of Dr. Jagdeo. Party loyalists, opinionist and opposition politicians were brutal and vile in their attacks on Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Some even predicted that the government of that time would emerge victorious at the 2nd March, 2020 elections.

The General-Secretary told Dr. Ali: “You must travel around the entire country and reach all of the people and I will go on the political platform and sell your candidacy”; and how wittily, skilfully and successfully he did this.

Within a month of campaigning, Dr. Bharat Jagdeo had everything locked; the victory was in the bag; another five months of delay, but the rule of law prevailed.

Today, His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is championing the worries and concerns of all Guyanese -- locally and abroad. Everyone within the Central Executive of the PPP/C and the populace now realise that the choice for the party’s leadership was absolutely correct. The bureaucracy in the government has dissolved, the life and livelihoods of our people are improving and everyone can see a bright future.

Duties and taxes on numerous items were removed and not a cent from the revenue from the sale of our oil was used, but the government under the leadership of His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali could distribute cash monies and vouchers to every household within the past year.

In addition, thousands of our young professionals, brothers and sisters, have See page 7

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

There are more questions than answers at City Hall Dear Editor, I FIND it most perplexing as a rate-paying and law-abiding citizen of Georgetown, as to how the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are allowed to get away with completely ignoring, and honouring in the breach, so many laws of this country whilst thumbing their noses at the authorities and citizens, doing so, for such a long time.

For years now the relevant authorities, including the Local Government Commission, have been requesting that the Georgetown municipality provide them with their asset register, which they have obdurately refused to provide. Why is this? Do they no longer have any assets for which they could create a register? Is everything gone? My question would be, what are the relevant officers/ departments who are responsible for the preparation of such a document doing? The Council has a full, Internal Audit Department chockful with highly paid officers. Is it not their job to create this register and prepare the Council’s accounts for external auditing?

But they do no such thing. In fact, one has to wonder what they do. And what about the City Treasurer’s Department, why are they not participating in the creation of an asset register? So why is no one at the Council being sanctioned for the absence of something as important as an asset register all this while?

Year after year the Georgetown municipality has been deducting from their nearly 1000- strong workforce, pay as you earn (PAYE) taxes but failed to remit them in a timely manner; the same with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, resulting in hundreds of employees being denied medical benefits. They deduct credit union dues and loan repayments and do not remit them, resulting in employees being penalised. Why are the relevant authorities not taking stern action against the Council for such dreadful neglect? Had this been a private entity they would have been hauled before the courts and sanctioned.

Former employees have to wait for years to receive their pensions and gratuities for which they worked hard and long and to which they are entitled, whilst current employees, particularly those new sinecures who are drawing down their super salaries without

having to stir their stumps as they say. Could this be fair and just?

I would like to know how the National Trust of Guyana, the Guyana Historical Society, the Tourism bodies etc could have remained quiet and allow the Georgetown municipality to sit idly by whilst the world-famous heritage building, ‘The City Hall,’ deteriorate to the state it is in today.

It is culturally barbaric, it is reckless and it is unacceptable that for decades Councillors and administrators of the city just occupied the building without expending a cent on repairs or maintenance of this 19th-century Gothic Revival building. And no one has been sanctioned; instead, they are being rewarded with central government picking up the tab for what will be needed to save the building from collapsing.

There are so many things the citizens shall never understand, such as the illegal parking meter fiasco that just slowly died away without anyone being sanctioned; the inhumane slaughtering of animals when someone made a mess of purchasing captive-bolt pistols; the collapse of the Stabroek Market wharf which to date remains a death trap; the continuation of engaging expensive garbage contractors instead of the city purchasing its own refuse trucks and the city going back to refuse collection itself; the continued poor sanitation of the wet municipal markets around the city that are rat-infested, hardly cleaned, poorly lit and whose customers are prone to robberies; the closure of the Day Care Centres without good reason or proper notice has brought much hardship on many working mothers in the city, the abdication of the City Constabulary’s responsibility to provide service and protection in the city; the transformation of Le Repentir Cemetery into a jungle and wildlife reserve and the creation of a monstrosity between Church Street and North Road, close to Vlissengen Road, referred to as a “Presidential Park.”

How is the City Council in the midst of a pandemic allowed to have heaps of garbage around the city, particularly near to municipal markets?

There are more questions than answers at City Hall.

Yours sincerely, Magagula Jackson

Dr Jagdeo had the ...

From page 6

secured house lots or a complete home from this administration as the national infrastructure is being revolutionised.

As I reflect on the maestro, I wish to advise my long-standing friend Joe Hermon to be a responsible opposition leader, knowing that elections in Guyana are very close. Twenty-eight seats are guaranteed between the two majority political parties.

The nine seats are what either has to work assiduously for.

Do as your predecessor did and you will be better off.

Remember losing an election is not at all easy and five years will elapse quickly.

Yours respectfully, Nazar Mohamed

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

$20M water distribution system commissioned in St. Ignatius

MINISTER of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, on Saturday, commissioned a $20M upgraded water distribution system in St. Ignatius, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) much to the satisfaction of residents who will now receive a minimum of 12 hours of service per day.

He was joined by Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock; Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Hinterland Services Director, Ramchand Jailall; Toshao, William Laurentino, and other residents.

The upgrade saw the installation of four-inch transmission mains to provide an adequate volume of water to feed the network and the interconnecting of three wells which will now serve the entire village.

A total of 4km of fourinch PVC transmission main and 500 meters of two-inch PVC lines were installed, which will now enable a total of 125 residents to now access water for the first time.

The level of service had since increased threefold at the high points of the network.

During the commissioning ceremony, Minister Croal lauded the contractor, Romesh Kissoon of R. Kissoon Contracting Services, for the timely delivery of the project.

He noted that the timely delivery is reflective of how the government operates in terms of fulfilling its commitment to communities across the country.

“Our future is in the hands of a well-educated generation and whose social

well-being is taken care of in every aspect. I’m pleased to see more than 100 families now benefitting from potable water which is a basic necessity,” Minister Croal added.

Meanwhile, according to Croal, from August 1, 2021, GWI will be paying for the electricity supply of the water system, thus easing the financial burden on the village council.

This now means that the council can channel its resources to another development project. Touching on other development in Region Nine, the Housing Minister spoke of the villages of Toka, Katoonarib, Potarinau, and Parikwarinau, which have all benefited from new water distribution systems and the construction of a new $23M GWI/ housing office in Le-

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, drinks water from the newly commissioned distribution system them, which will ensure improved services.

“We are ensuring that water is delivered to every household as outline in the Millennium Development Goals, we will continue in our effort to match hinterland development with those on the coastland,” Minister Croal added.

He implored residents to play their part in safeguarding the water infrastructure, noting that far too often

breakages and leakages result in losses and defective services.

Also, the Hinterland Service Director, Jailall, spoke about investments being made in Region Nine to improve the lives of residents.

“This village has grown and, over the years, the service we offer has improved, and we continue to improve.

We want to celebrate the fact that three wells are now interconnected to better supply

this community,” he said.

Jailall explained that this new system is also designed to ensure there is little to no disruption in services when there is a need for maintenance.

Meanwhile, as the contractor, Romesh Kissoon, promised a month ago, he handed over ten electronic tablets to school children and a complete computer system to the village council.

Contractor (second from left) Romesh Kissoon of R. Kissoon Contracting Services with Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock and of Toshoa William Laurentino hand over the electronic tablets to a school child along with a complete computer system to the Village Council

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Bike fall last year led to five-year-old’s haemophilia diagnosis TWENTY-ONE-year-old Keenan Prince had never heard the word haemophilia until her only child was diagnosed with the condition recently. Five-year-old Dante Telemaque had an accident while riding his bicycle and life for him and his mother has not been the same since.

“In May 2020, he had a fall from his bicycle and he got a sprain on his left ankle,” Prince said, “and after like two days I noticed some lumps started coming out on his feet, his ankle and leg and so on. It was really painful so I took him to the Bartica Hospital and they did a clotting time test on his ear and the bleeding was not stopping like how it would stop on a normal person…”

Dante was given some treatment and the bleeding stopped. He was released from the hospital but later that afternoon he had to be rushed back because the bleeding started again from the ears. He was admitted and as the bleeding continued, he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). There, he was diagnosed with Haemophilia A. “I had never heard of haemophilia before. I felt heartbroken and I started questioning why this had to happen. He is so young. I took it really hard at first,” was how Prince described the hours after understanding her son’s condition.

Haemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This causes spontaneous

Keenan Prince and Dante Telemaque

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bleeding, and/or prolonged bleeding after an injury or surgery. People with haemophilia have low levels of specific clotting factors, which are proteins in the blood that help it to clot. Persons with low levels of Factor V111 (Factor eight) have Haemophilia A, and those with low levels of Factor 1X have Haemophilia B. Haemophilia is quite rare; about one in 10,000 people are born with it. The WFH’s Annual Global Survey surmised that with Guyana’s population of approximately 755,000 persons, an average of 52 persons could be living with and suffering from haemophilia.

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

COULD NOT WALK FOR THREE MONTHS After Dante was discharged from GPH, he remained in bed for about three months recovering from the sprain he had sustained in the bicycle accident as his hemophilia prolonged the healing process.

“He was bedridden all the time,” his mother said. “Everywhere he had to go, I had to fetch him. If he wanted to use the washroom or bathe I had to fetch him.”

Prior to the accident he had been a very active child.

After three months the sprain healed and he was back on his feet but then it was a period of him being bedridden from time to time as he started to get hematomas - bad bruises which occur when an injury causes blood to collect and pool under the skin.

“Sometimes he would be in bed for about two weeks at a time and then he would be back on his feet and then he would be back again and that is how he has been since, in and out all the time,” the young mother shared.

On Mother’s Day he had to be rushed to the hospital after his gum started to bleed when a chicken bone pricked it.

He was referred to GPHC and he was hospitalised for some eight days.

Now, Prince said, she has to keep her “eyes on him 24/7.

He don’t really go out in the yard to play and I am always with him”.

She also has to watch Dante’s diet and ensure he does not consume any food that may spike bleeding in his mouth. If he is eating chicken or fish she ensures that she debones it before he eats. No lime juice or anything sour is given to Dante.

The mother said she cries many times over the life-changing effects her son now has to endure because of his condition.

“Sometimes when he has the hematomas and they are painful he would cry and ask why he had to be born with the disease and why God can’t heal him,” she said sadly.

“I does feel like breaking down to be honest because to see my child in so much pain and I can’t do nothing to help him. It does really be terrible,” she added, breaking down as she said those words.

Prince said so far she has not been able to trace how her son came to be diagnosed with the condition as no one in her family, as far as she knew, ever suffered with it. However, she understands that more than likely she is the one who may have passed it on to her child.

Keenan Prince and her son Dante Telemaque share a special moment According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a father who has haemophilia passes his X chromosome to all of his daughters, so they have his haemophilia allele and become heterozygous (carriers). A father passes his Y chromosome to his sons and thus cannot pass the haemophilia allele to them. Without the haemophilia allele, the sons therefore cannot pass it to their children.

Haemophilia is more common among boys, as they only inherit one X chromosome, which means that they will develop symptoms of haemophilia if that chromosome carries the mutation.

SCARY “It is kind of scary because before him I never knew that I was a carrier and it is really scary.

I am already saying that I don’t want any more children because I can’t bear to watch another child of mine go through what Dante is going through so I honestly don’t want any more kids,” the young mother said.

Prince, however, had some words of encouragement for other mothers who might be in her situation. “Haemophilia is a really hard thing when your child has it but you just have to keep the faith and be strong. I can do it, so can you,” she said.

She also advises that they should pay keen attention to their child and not take bleeding and bruises lightly.

“And if you observe those things please go and get it checked so that your child could get help because I never knew and even now I don’t know of anyone in my family that has haemophilia,” she advised.

The single mother said she is now forced to remain at home to ensure she observes her son constantly and has to depend on the support of her relatives.

Prince said she will be joining the GHS soon, though she is unclear if Dante would have to take the Factor V111 injection.

This is the third in a series of four articles produced by the Guyana Haemophilia Society (GHS) to bring awareness of the existence of the condition in Guyana.

Thousands in Reg. 2 accessing free gov’t WiFi services

PRIME MINISTER’S Representative in Region Two and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) councillor of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Arnold Adams, has disclosed that over 60 Information Technology Communication (ITC) hubs in the Pomeroon- Supenaam region are operable.

During his address at the region’s RDC statutory meeting recently, Adams distrib-

uted a document that contained an update of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) projects in Region Two. He said that the document will provide information and clarity to councillors as it relates to internet connectivity.

He further disclosed that the NDMA team successfully conducted mapping to several primary and secondary schools, hospitals, health centres, post offices, police stations,

army base and all government agencies to cater for fibre optic connection on the coastland and VSAT connections for the hinterland locations.

This, he said, is a great achievement for Region Two as he disclosed that thousands of people are benefitting from the government’s free WiFI services.

Adams said several existing hubs within See page 10

Prime Minister Representative and PPP/C RDC councillor Arnold Adams

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Legal action is most appropriate recourse to settle disputes –– AG tells suspended PSC Chair, et al

By Richard Bhainie “IF every one of us decide to take upon ourselves the power to determine legality, then that will result in anarchy. The constitution has identified the courts as the forum for the resolution of all legal disputes.”

These were the sentiments shared by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., during his weekly television broadcast, ‘Issues In The News.’

He was responding to legal

action filed by the suspended Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Paul Slowe, and others against President Dr. Irfaan Ali et al.

“So at least Paul Slowe and his team got that right,” the Attorney-General said, as he explained that legal action pursued through the courts is the most appropriate recourse to settle any matter where the decision of a public official, in this case the President, is being challenged.

Slowe, through his attorneys Selwyn Pieters,

Dexter Todd and Dexter Smartt, on behalf of the PSC, filed an action on July 20, 2021, which lists President Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips, Commissioner of Police (CoP) (ag) Nigel Hoppie, Nandlall, and the Secretary of the PSC as respondents.

On July 5, Slowe issued a letter to Hoppie whereby he reminded that the PSC had issued a list on June 28, of ranks of the Guyana Police Force who are to be promoted, and contended that though

man and members of the PSC by President Ali was contrary to and in violation of the Constitution of Guyana, in particular articles 225 (6) and 210 (3).

They are also asking the court to declare that the Prime Minister’s advice to the President to suspend the PSC was unlawful and that the Chairman and members remain competent and responsible to carry out its functions.

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. the commissioner’s office acknowledged receipt of the list on June 30, the CoP has failed to prepare the promotion order.

“Your action in not ensuring that the Special Promotion Order is prepared and published one week after receiving the promotion list from the Police Service Commission is interpreted by the Police Suspended Chairman of [Service] Commission as the Police Service Comyou defying the legitimate mission, Paul Slowe action of the Police Service Commission in promoting “You have a problem ranks of the Guyana Police with a decision, you got Force,” Slowe had written. to the court, you may win, The action was also I’m not sure, but that is the filed against the backdrop place to resolve the legality of President Ali suspend- of issues,” Nandlall said, ing the PSC on June 16, as he explained he antici2021. However, Pieters pated that the PSC would had contended that the pursue dispute resolution suspension was ultra vires through the judicial proArticle 225 of the consti- cess, as it is their legal and tution, since a tribunal to democratic right, which he probe the removal of the respects.

PSC had not yet been es“It’s part of our democtablished. racy, it’s part of the legal In the action, the PSC is rights of those who have seeking a declaration that been suspended to chalsuspension of the Chair- lenge the decision to sus-

pend them; that is a right that they have and that is a right that I respect,” he said.

“I will deal with the matter in court and I’ll explain the nature of the proceedings when I receive them, but the point is that this is the way if one wishes to challenge a decision made by a public officer, more so, one made by the Head of State,” he added.

The Attorney-General expressed that the law does not permit anyone to arrogate unto themselves a power to ignore the decision of any public official, especially the Executive President.

“Paul Slowe and this team must recognise, at least when this government is in power, [that] the constitution will be complied with and the rule of law will be respected and when the President makes a decision or a minister makes a decision, whether he is right or whether he is wrong, in law it is a matter for only the court to decide,” Nandlall said.

“However, the rule of law requires and demands that you respect that decision until it is rescinded, either by the decision-maker or by a competent authority who has the power or the jurisdiction to rescind that decision,” he added.

He explained that when Slowe and his team wrote to the secretary of the PSC and the commissioner of police instructing them to proceed with the promotion list “they were completely wrong and their demands were completely unlawful and were properly and rightfully ignored.”

Thousands in Reg. 2 ...

From page 9

various communities in Region Two were maintained by the NDMA team.

Those hubs that had low internet speed were also upgraded.

Persons can also access WiFi services at various recreational parks in the region. Speaking about connections in the hinterland communities, Adams said that residents in Akawini, Jacklow, Abrams Creek, Kabakaburi, St Monica, Karawab, and Bethany are also accessing free internet services.

Adams said that parents have expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister’s office for the prompt intervention to have

the hubs operable.

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva said she is satisfied with the work of the NDMA maintenance team, particularly in the hinterland communities. She recalled the complaints of many parents who could not afford to purchase data for their phones so their children can conduct studies online.

Additionally, Opposition RDC councillor Trevor Cozier commended the efforts of the RDC and the NDMA team for ensuring that Pomeroon residents have access to the free Wifi service.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Guyana to benefit from $1.6B project to strengthen women-led enterprises

THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has set aside US$8,039,317 (GY$1.6B) to execute a programme which seeks to strengthen women-led businesses in Guyana, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador.

According to a press statement issued by the IDB, the monies will be directed towards the We3A Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WeFi), which is aimed at capacity building, development, and growth of women-led and women-owned Small and Medium Enterprises (WSMEs) in the aforementioned countries.

“The recently-approved Technical Cooperation for ‘We3A – Improving access to value chains for women entrepreneurs’ is valued US$8,039,317 and includes a contribution of more than US$7 million from WeFi,” the statement read.

It indicated too that the We3A initiative seeks to strengthen WSMEs by combining value chain integration for women with high quality business training, using a range of innovative and digital means.

“Primary beneficiaries will be women in early entrepreneurship faced with multiple inequalities and those who do [not] own businesses but are inspired to start one or study entrepreneurship,” the IDB said.

It explained that the project aligns with key pillars of the IDB Group’s ‘Vision 2025’ for the gender diversity and digitalisation, of

SMEs. “We3A’s activities will promote women’s economic empowerment in the region,” the release posited.

For the Guyana leg of the project, the IDB group intends to collaborate with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG) to coordinate and implement We3A activities, working closely with the other executing partners especially Thunderbird School of Global Management of the Arizona State University.

“Thunderbird is the main executing agency for the regional We3A project,” the IDB noted.

The institution explained that the WCCIG will play a key role as the local platform to realise We3A’s three main components – Aspire, Activate and Accelerate.

“Aspire will use storytelling to highlight positives of women’s entrepreneurship.

Activate will employ digital means to engage WSMEs while increasing capacity of local partners who will have long-term access to the digital resources. Accelerate will provide accelerator experience and buyer match-making opportunities for WSMEs ready to integrate into value chains,” the statement specified.

Further, it said that Thunderbird will, among other activities, develop high-impact, high-engagement online learning courses that include a “business plan wizard” and personalised “action plans” that create unique, personal documents for each learner.

“The global WEConnect network will also be involved

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG) will be providing key assistance for the execution of the Guyana leg of the project given its relationship with local organisations and businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the IDB added.

Overall, “We3A is projecting to train a total of 6,400 women-led SMEs, enrol 160 in the accelerator, and graduate 128 WSMEs in recipient countries over the next three years starting in 2021.”

The programme is also expected to involve men in project activities that seek to encourage support and create an enabling environment for women’s empowerment.

Secondary beneficiaries in this regard “will include others in the associated ecosystem such as family members, friends, male influencers, and business-owners.”

Digicel introduces new service in Kabakaburi Mission DIGICEL Guyana has announced that it has switched on its state-of-theart mobile service in the Kabakaburi Mission in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), completing major service expansion in the Upper Pomeroon river area.

Residents in the village’s sub divisions of St. Monica, Sirikie, Abram’s Creek and Jacklow will now have access to first world connectivity. Digicel Guyana’s Chief Executive Officer, Gregory

Dean, underscored Digicel’s significant contribution to taking connectivity to unserved areas.

“We are thrilled to have given thousands of residents in remote communities access to world class communication services, during our 14 years of operations in Guyana,” Dean was quoted as saying in a press release from Digicel.

In addition to the new site launch, the See page 12

Digicel’s 426-foot tower located in Kabakaburi Mission in the Pomeroon Region

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Digicel introduces new service ...

From page 11 telecommunications provider donated over 30 tablets to students of Kabakaburi Primary School, the release further noted.

Additionally, over $4 billion has been invested in rolling out LTE services, delivering greater speeds and an overall enhanced user experience to customers on the coast and inland areas like Linden, Bartica, Mahdia, Kwakwani, Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Aroraima and Matthews Ridge. Puruni’s upgrade, which has been delayed due to poor road accessibility, is scheduled to be completed in August with expected weather improvements, Digicel stated in the release This would see Digicel’s LTE services

being available to an estimated 83% of the population allowing more customers to now enjoy the full digital lifestyle.

Commenting on Digicel’s connectivity plans, Dean said, “The government has been transformational in delivering liberalisation.

Now, to be able to bring further benefits to the people of Guyana, we need confirmation from the government that the spectrum we use to deliver these and future services, will be made available.

“Our requests have been pending since November and this has led to new services and upgrades being delayed. We are keen to immediately invest in Guyana and ensure our customers access to world class services.”

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Students of Kabakaburi Primary school display their electronic tablets

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Politics & Society Forum

A long journey to Emancipation SCHOLARS have disagreed on how many Africans were brought to the Americas during the Atlantic Slave Trade.

However, many have settled on the argument that no less than 8,000,000 and no more than 10,500,000 arrived in the Americas. Of this figure, 480,000 Africans were brought to Suriname and Guyana. In 1838, after slavery, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Africans were living in Guyana. These Africans were brought mainly from West Africa. They came from multiple ethnicities such as the Ashanti from Ghana, the Yoruba from Southwest Nigeria, the Ibo from South-Western Nigeria, and the Mandingo from Senegal.

They were snatched from the ranks of war captives, debtors, and persons found guilty of various criminal and social offenses. Others were kidnapped through raids and deceitful ways. European slave traders were initially involved in the capture of Africans but over time when the capture of Africans became difficult, African chiefs or middlemen were rewarded with material objects to supply slaves.

Africans were brought to the Americas via the African Slave Trade in which ships would leave European ports and arrive in West Africa where material objects such as guns were traded for slaves. The ships would then leave western Africa with slaves and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean. This leg of the journey was called the Middle Passage. It was terrible. Deaths and diseases were high, as well as trauma, including suicide and resistance. Upon arrival, the slaves were distributed to various Caribbean plantations through an inhumane bidding process. The ships would then sail back to Europe with sugar and other tropical products.

Slave societies in the Americas were stratified according to power, prestige, privilege, and colour. At the top layer were Whites, comprised of government officials, plantation owners, managers, merchants, clergies, small shopkeepers, craftsmen, and indentured servants. At the middle layer were free Blacks and free Coloureds, classified as Mulatto, Quadroon, and Sambo, and so on. This was a sandwich group that served as a social lubricant between the highest and lowest layer of Guyana’s slave society.

At the lowest layer were the enslaved Africans, who were further stratified into field, house, skilled and urban slaves. Each layer of stratification was hierarchically organised along firm boundaries. The structure of slave society was shaped like a social pyramid.

The physical setting of the slave society was also stratified. The residential area was divided between the slavers and the enslaved. The slavers lived in the Great

House, while the enslaved lived in barracks.

The production area was divided into factory and field. The former comprised various mills, boiling and curing houses, storage and work sheds, and a distillery. The vast fields surrounded the factory area, made up of sugarcane. The enslaved spent most of their time in the field and factory.

The rhythm of plantation life of the enslaved was simply terrible. The enslaved worked from daybreak to sunset, cultivating sugar cane as well as performing other tasks, like feeding animals and tending their kitchen gardens. Their lives were severely restricted and stunted by poor health and physical labour. They laboured in a killing field in which birth rates were low, while death rates were high. The average lifespan of the enslaved was about 40 years, particularly those of field slaves.

Social prohibitions were placed on the enslaved. They were denied an education, not allowed to marry, migrate, or engage in their own cultural and economic activities.

Yet, some sections of African slave society did not bow to the above restrictions.

Although the process toward emancipation was long and protracted, myriad slave revolts occurred with the intent to achieve outright freedom, and indeed, Haiti and St. Croix witnessed a successful slave revolt in 1804 and 1848. Impressively, power was transferred from the hands of the colonial masters to the former slaves.

Two broad forms of African resistance, covert and overt, emerged during slavery. Covert resistance took the forms of maiming animals, faking sickness, and maroonage, while overt resistance took the form of direct destruction of plantation property, and revolution. Both forms of resistance were intended to slow down production, to reduce profits, and eventually to abolish slavery. Two notable revolts of enslaved Africans occurred in Berbice in 1763, and in Demerara in 1823. The former was led

by Cuffy, now the national hero of modern Guyana. Slave resistance placed enormous pressure on the institution of slavery. Human bondage came under attack from various regions, from various movements, and from various people, based on various economic, philosophical, religious, and humanistic arguments. The result was that the slave trade was abolished in 1807, although it continued illegally until 1870, as well as the death knell to slavery in the Americas in different time periods in the nineteenth century.

On August 1, 1838, the British Government finally abolished slavery in all its colonies and called upon other western colonial powers to follow suit.

Slavery was abolished in the Swedish Caribbean in 1847; in the Danish and

French Caribbean in 1848; in the Dutch Caribbean in 1863; in Puerto Rico 1873; in Cuba in 1886; in Brazil in 1888; in the

Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine

United States in 1865. We welcome emancipation in Guyana next week (lomarsh. roopnarine@jsums.edu).

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Understanding Energy

Gas-to-energy process still in early stages AS discussed in last week’s column, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been holding scoping meetings to help provide the public with a platform to share their concerns and provide inputs on what should be evaluated by the upcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed gas-to-power project.

These meetings are part of the larger ongoing process of feasibility studies, site evaluations, approvals, and planning before the project moves toward actual construction.

Many voices in the media and at these meetings have raised valid concerns and important questions that should be answered before any construction begins. But, while it can be frustrating that many of these questions do not yet have answers, it’s unfortunately a natural part of being very early on in a long and complex process.

Despite initial planning by the government and ExxonMobil, no final investment decision (FID) has yet been made and no ground has been broken for the gas-to-power project, or the pipeline that will provide the gas from the Stabroek Block offshore.

Although the rhetoric sometimes suggests otherwise, the project still has many steps ahead of it.

Guyana is still in the assessment stage of the process and will continue to explore potential impacts, benefits and the project’s feasibility. By holding scoping meetings, the government is providing a space for transparency, but it can only share information that already exists.

Crucial steps are still needed before final investment decisions are made to ensure alignment on environmental impacts, engineering plans and costs, each of which need to be studied more in depth. While it is understandable that Guyanese are eager to hear more details about specifics, this process cannot be rushed.

Public funds can’t be invested into expensive steps such as contracting engineering firms to draw up plans, modelling scenarios and providing cost estimates until the public has been consulted and is given an opportunity to say what they would like to be part of the environmental impact assessment. While the process may seem to move slowly, gas-to-power development is a complex, methodical process which requires patience to ensure that public consultation is considered at every stage of the process.

What we know so far is this: discussions on the possibility of a gas-to-power project began soon after oil was first found, but these

discussions have recently progressed to the point where a pipeline impact assessment is appropriate.

The government has carried out a number of feasibility studies, available online through government websites, to choose the location of the onshore gas-to-power plant and the landing point for an underwater pipeline that will deliver associated gas from two floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

After looking at seven possible locations, the industrial zone at Wales was chosen as the most feasible location. The Wales location previously housed industrial activity for sugar production and can be transitioned into a multifaceted industrial complex.

GAS-TO-ENERGY PROCESS STILL IN EARLY STAGES AS discussed in last week’s column, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been holding scoping meetings to help provide the public with a platform to share their concerns and provide inputs on what should be evaluated by the upcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed gas-to-power project.

These meetings are part of the larger ongoing process of feasibility studies, site evaluations, approvals, and planning before the project moves toward actual construction.

Many voices in the media and at these meetings have raised valid concerns and important questions that should be answered before any construction begins. But, while it can be frustrating that many of these questions do not yet have answers, it’s unfortunately a natural part of being very early on in a long and complex process.

Despite initial planning by the government and ExxonMobil, no final investment decision (FID) has yet been made and no ground has been broken for the gas-to-power project, or the pipeline that will provide the gas from the Stabroek Block offshore.

Although the rhetoric sometimes suggests otherwise, the project still has many steps ahead of it.

Guyana is still in the assessment stage of the process and will continue to explore potential impacts, benefits and the project’s feasibility. By holding scoping meetings, the government is providing a space for transparency, but it can only share information that already exists.

Crucial steps are still needed before final investment decisions are made to en-

sure alignment on environmental impacts, engineering plans and costs, each of which need to be studied more in depth. While it is understandable that Guyanese are eager to hear more details about specifics, this process cannot be rushed.

Public funds can’t be invested into expensive steps such as contracting engineering firms to draw up plans, modelling scenarios and providing cost estimates until the public has been consulted and is given an opportunity to say what they would like to be part of the environmental impact assessment.

While the process may seem to move slowly, gas-to-power development is a complex, methodical process which requires patience to ensure that public consultation is considered at every stage of the process.

What we know so far is this: discussions on the possibility of a gas-to-power project began soon after oil was first found, but these discussions have recently progressed to the point where a pipeline impact assessment is appropriate.

The government has carried out a number of feasibility studies, available online through government websites, to choose the location of the onshore gas-to-power plant and the landing point for an underwater pipeline that will deliver associated gas from two floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

After looking at seven possible locations, the industrial zone at Wales was chosen as the most feasible location. The Wales location previously housed industrial activity for sugar production and can be transitioned into a multifaceted industrial complex.

As the consultations and project summary have outlined, Wales will house a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant that will separate associated gas found offshore into usable products and a power plant that can generate cheaper, more reliable electricity.

According to the government, the overall development is also expected to create over 3,000 jobs for Guyanese.

This industrial complex, as well as the new supply of gas, should provide space for additional industrial production of fertilisers, plastics, chemicals, and other products that rely on natural gas by-products, according to the Petroleum Economist at the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The government is also discussing complementary projects such as an agricultural processing plant that could take advantage of existing sugar infrastructure. These spin-off industries, also supported by cheaper energy, could support further economic development

and activity.

Government feasibility studies have also evaluated changes in electricity costs and availability once the plant is installed.

According to these studies, the project is not only expected to cut electricity costs by half, but should also provide homes and businesses with more reliable electricity.

But although excitement is running high, it’s crucial to step back and realise that Guyana is very early in a long process.

Continued engagement with the public and a commitment to transparency will be critical to ensure that the project meets the needs of Guyanese. The government hopes to see this project completed within a few years, but much still needs to be done in the meantime to ensure that the right questions are asked and answered.

As the consultations and project summary have outlined, Wales will house a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant that will separate associated gas found offshore into usable products and a power plant that can generate cheaper, more reliable electricity.

According to the government, the overall development is also expected to create over 3,000 jobs for Guyanese.

This industrial complex, as well as the new supply of gas, should provide space for additional industrial production of fertilisers, plastics, chemicals, and other products that rely on natural gas by-products, according to the Petroleum Economist at the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The government is also discussing complementary projects such as an agricultural processing plant that could take advantage of existing sugar infrastructure. These spin-off industries, also supported by cheaper energy, could support further economic development and activity.

Government feasibility studies have also evaluated changes in electricity costs and availability once the plant is installed.

According to these studies, the project is not only expected to cut electricity costs by half, but should also provide homes and businesses with more reliable electricity.

But although excitement is running high, it’s crucial to step back and realise that Guyana is very early in a long process. Continued engagement with the public and a commitment to transparency will be critical to ensure that the project meets the needs of Guyanese.

The government hopes to see this project completed within a few years, but much still needs to be done in the meantime to ensure that the right questions are asked and answered.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

Back-door Politics ON Friday, the Alliance For Change briefed the media about its National Conference, which was planned, for this month.

Outgoing General-Secretary, David Patterson, was quick to say that there are several reasons for this delay in holding the National Conference. He said the “conference will be held” and there was no interest in “delaying” it.

Patterson also said the AFC “was trying to find a method during these COVID-19 times to host more than 400 persons” for the delegates-only conference. He explained that the AFC has looked at a mixed hybrid system with members logging on virtually and other options to host the event.

Patterson, did commit to

having the conference in August stressing, that “there is no attempt by the leadership” in putting it off for longer.

This explanation is rubbish and an attempt by Patterson to trick the membership of the AFC. There is no need to ‘kerfuffle” anyone.

Firstly, Patterson had two years to prepare the party for its conference. Nothing was done. Even this year, the AFC had time to plan a COVID-19 compliant event, but they did nothing significant until recently. And they were not short on funding or a venue after it was booted from the government to make it a reality. Why wait until now to make the announcement? Why not make the announcement in June when it was likely that there would

not be an AFC National Conference?

Secondly, all is not well in the AFC political camp.

The party structures are crumbling. Joel Edmond, Abel Seetaram, Vladimir Glasgow, Michael Leonard, Reynard Ward, and a whole number of the AFC faces have resigned.

Party groups are in chaos as the membership wants to go down a different path than their counterpart in the APNU. But the current AFC National Executive is trying to keep those members with a dissenting view from speaking out.

And this is so because the members are going their separate ways since the party changed unilaterally the way it makes decisions. The party superstructure is controlled

Capital and current works progressing in Reg. 2 REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region Two, Devanand Ramdatt, says the Pomeroon-Supenaam region is the leading region in the country to have achieved 71 per cent of its capital works and 52 per cent of its current projects.

While addressing the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) statutory meeting recently, Ramdatt said that completion of the projects is a result of timely procurement and the addition of more evaluation officers.

He outlined that since the current government took

office more suppliers and contractors have been bidding for projects. According to Ramdatt, even though some contractors are new, their work is impressive and is highly competitive.

He projected that the region will achieve 100 per cent of its capital projects by November 2021.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva said she is satisfied with the current pace of the region’s budget achievement and commended the REO and his staff. She said that the region is also facilitating

early payments to contractors and also more monitoring is being done.

De Silva said that the region is experiencing tremendous transformation in all the sectors and she is happy that persons are benefiting from the projects.

Some of the major projects executed in the region include construction of the Abram Zuil Secondary School, the Queenstown Primary and the tuberculosis building at Suddie.

The region also benefited from $127M in contracts.

Driver found dead in fuel tanker at Tuschen

THE body of Laurel Samaroo, 31, of Tuschen New Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) was discovered in the wee hours of Saturday inside a fuel tanker truck at his home in Tuschen.

According to a police report, on Friday about 21:00hrs, Samaroo collected a fuel tanker from Parika, EBE and proceeded to his home at Tuschen and about 02:00hrs Saturday the truck was observed parked on the said public road by the owner, a businessman of Parika.

Police said that the owner, upon checking, opened the driver-side door, where he observed the victim lying in the vehicle’s front seat and appeared to be sleeping.

He attempted to wake Samaroo but

that proved futile, and so, he immediately contacted the Leonora Police Station and the police were summoned to the scene.

On arrival, detectives examined the body for marks of violence and what appeared to be a wound to the right side head of the victim was seen.

Further checks were made around the area and a black haversack, wallet and keys belonging to the victim were found behind a stall in the market area. Police said foul play is suspected.

The body was subsequently escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, and later to the Ezekiel Funeral Home where it is currently awaiting a post mortem examination as investigations continue.

by a big six, namely Khemraj Ramjattan, David Patterson, Raphael Trotman, Cathy Hughes and Moses Nagamootoo. The other members are reportedly “collateral damage” or puppets that will secure the vote.

Thirdly, there may be a ‘wait and see’ approach taken by the current AFC leadership. As you know, the PNC is currently fighting a battle between those who support David Granger and Volda Lawrence for the leadership. AFC is strategic in putting off its conference or delaying until its partner has some semblance of calm and predictability.

The AFC knows its alliance with the APNU and the PNC is fragile since it didn’t

honour its side of the vow in 2011. And, the AFC does not have the strength to stand on its own in numbers or form in 2021. It needs to piggyback on the APNU, which is already standing on the PNC’s strength.

Finally, Patterson needs to come clean about the real reason behind the decision to postpone the AFC National Congress. Blaming the pandemic guidelines and restrictions is becoming an old line and has been used already by its partner.

The AFC does not have the numbers to show. It cannot bank on its old cliché of being able to steal supporters and members of the ruling PPP/C. Nagamootoo has

no control over Berbicians anymore because his APNU+AFC Government did not live up to the promises made to the sugar workers, farmers and working-class people of this country.

The Big Six group is scared of facing the public and the criticism of its relationship with the APNU alliance because few of their members who held ministerial responsibility did not do anything towards improving the party directly or the country. The AFC as a party, according to its pre-2015 stance, is “dead meat”.

Maybe, it should not keep its conference because the AFC lacks the individuality to be considered Guyana’s third force.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 25, 2021

$500M for road works in Region One

IN keeping with the government’s strategic plan to significantly improve and enhance infrastructure across the country, the Ministry of Public works has set aside some $500 million for major road works in several communities in Region One (Barima-Waini).

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, in an invited comment on Saturday, said that the scheduled road upgrades are part of the government’s roadmap for growth and advancement in the local economy.

Edghill told the Sunday

Chronicle that many of the roads are in extremely deplorable state, with several sections described by residents as impassable. He noted that the upgrades will significantly improve the lives of residents in the targeted communities, as it will directly provide opportunities for improved commerce and innovation across the hinterland.

Rehabilitative works will be done on 500 metres of the road at Compound Road, Mabaruma; one kilometre of the road at the Moruca main access road; a section of road from Matthew’s Ridge

to Baramita is also slated for upgrading.

Minister Edghill pointed out that all subdivisions of the region are set to see minor rehabilitative works on smaller internal roads to ensure that the infrastructure correlates and allows for an all-round better travel experience.

Minister Edghill explained that these rehabilitative works will involve the construction of new, rigid pavement concrete roads as a way to modernise the infrastructure and provide more accessible commutes to and from those communities.

He noted that the work will facilitate the reopening of several roads that previously remained impassable, which cost the residents significantly.

“It’s going to significantly and positively benefit the lives of people, one: they’ll have greater accessibility; they will have greater access to government services such as health and education; would be able to move freely and also it gives the people with the movement that could take place for them to be economically sustainable in their employment.

“They can get involved in

mining and forestry because they can get in and get out back to their families,” the Public Works Minister told this newspaper.

He emphasised that improved roads would mean reduced travel time as well as fuel-cost reduction.

“Some of these roads are impassable but with these upgrades, persons would be able to traverse them with any form of transportation.

So, business persons can expect to use less fuel to get their products in these communities and that would benefit them; they, in turn, can reduce the

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Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill cost attached to items and that would benefit the residents,” Minister Edghill said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

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Edghill, Allicock inspire but out of Tokyo Olympics

By Rawle Toney TABLE Tennis star Chelsea Edghill and boxer Keevin Allicock’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics journey came to an end yesterday despite the two athletes’ inspiring performance in their respective disciplines.

For Edghill, it was a historic achievement for the 24-year-old, who plays professionally in Portugal.

Playing in the very first match of the Women’s Singles Tournament in Japan, Edghill brushed aside Fiji’s Sally Yee 4-1 (11-5, 4-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8).

While on the surface Edghill’s match-winning performance might seem casual, given her brilliance in the sport, in the table tennis world, it represented ‘histo-

ry’; not just for Guyana, but the Caribbean.

While Edghill became Guyana’s first, male or female table tennis player to represent the country in the sport at the Olympics, the Linwood University graduate (Chemistry) was also the first female player from the English-speaking Caribbean to feature at the event since it became an Olympic sport in 1988.

After her much-talkedabout and celebrated victory over Yee, Edghill’s next opponent was 17-year-old Shin Yubin from South Korea.

Shin Yubin is South Korea’s youngest-ever representative in the sport and against Edghill, the world 85th ranked player showed why she’s one of the best players in the world, winning

Pooran and Holder...

From page 32 been able to get the usual treatment due to two days of

isolation while everyone in the bubble was retested.

West Indies struck in the opening over when Ben McDermott nicked a wide delivery from Sheldon Cottrell second ball and after Josh Philippe had briefly shone he picked out deep square leg with a pull.

Cottrell’s first spell had been just two overs as he left the field but his replacement, Holder, made a significant inroad when he produced an excellent delivery to take Mitchell Marsh’s outside edge.

Then it was over to Hosein. There was no captain’s innings from Alex Carey this time as he was comprehensively beaten through the gate by a fantastic delivery that spun sharply from quite wide. Henriques’ disappointing tour continued when he edged a drive to slip, reward for Hosein throwing his line a touch wider to entice the shot.

Two balls later he produced another gem, dropping a delivery on middle and leg which then ripped past Ashton Turner’s edge to take middle stump. At that point a very early finishing looking a possibility.

Starc and Matthew Wade started a rebuild with a stand of 51 which was broken by Hayden Walsh Jr who had

4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-1, 12-10).

KEEVIN ALLICOCK OUT Meanwhile, Allicock, whose presence in Tokyo heralded a return of Guyana at Olympics boxing for the first time since John Douglas at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, was once again at the centre of another controversial decision.

Allicock was up against the Dominican Republic’s Alexy de la Cruz in the men’s featherweight division, in a match that was supposed to be ‘redemption’ for the Albouystown resident.

Allicock’s clash with de la Cruz has been in the making since the 2019 Pan Games qualifiers in Uruguay, when the two were scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals.

Starc lbw sweeping, via the DRS, having survived the same mode of dismissal on 7 when the review system overturned the decision. On both occasions the umpire was Joel Wilson on a day he had four decisions overturned.

Wade had never found fluency but had little choice but to try and bat through the innings. However, the revival then came from the unlikely pairing of Zampa and Agar in a stand of 59 in seven overs which included Agar twice clearing the rope as West Indies became a little ragged in the closing stages until things ended in consecutive deliveries.

It did not take long for a target of 188 to look much more challenging on a challenge surface. Starc was again on-song in his first spell as he pinned Evin Lewis lbw - having seen the opener saved from a caught behind in the opening over and produced another pearler for his collection to extract Darren Bravo’s off stump.

Spin then made an impact as Zampa caused plenty of problems with his googly, firstly removing Jason Mohammed with some help from the pad and then going right through Kieron Pollard.

Between those wickets Turner, a part-time offspinner, struck with his second delivery in ODIs when Shai Hope,

However, Allicock was disqualified after officials thought that he had on an inappropriate colour to enter the ring. The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) later appealed the decision and Allicock went ahead to box at the Pan Am Games in Peru, where he was again at the centre of another controversial decision.

Meanwhile at the Olympics, though the Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym member might have done better in the eyes of the pundits against de la Cruz in the three rounds, the judges saw another fight.

USA’s Beau Campbell, Radoslav Simon from Slovakia, Germany’s Susann Kopke, Mansur Muhiddinov of Tajikistan and Sri Lankan Nelka Shiromala Thampu who had played superbly against Starc, ran past one that slid on to take off stump.

While that was a smart piece of captaincy by Carey it also highlighted one of Australia’s problems as they lacked the second frontline spinner which West Indies possessed. Alongside the absence of Hazlewood, it left a lot on the shoulders of Starc and Zampa who couldn’t conjure another breakthrough in time - although Zampa should have done when Pooran was shelled with 65 still needed.

In the over following that miss, Holder pulled debutant Riley Meredith for six over deep square leg which saw McDermott clatter into the boundary borders as he tried to reach the catch and hobble away.

The rest of the chase was not without the occasional nervy moments particularly when Starc had Holder lbw with 23 needed. Pooran, who earlier became the third fastest West Indies men’s batter to 1000 ODI runs, went to 49 with a six off Turner and brought up fifty when Wade could not hold a top edge at slip which he was moving the wrong way for. There was then a sigh of relief when Starc finished his 10 overs.(Cricinfo.com).

all judged in favour of the Dominican Republic boxer, as de la Cruz won via a Unanimous Decision.

Looking ahead, Andrew Fowler will dive into the pool on July 27, in Heat 2 of the men’s 100 metres freestyle.

Fifteen-year-old Aleka Persaud, the country’s youngest-ever Olympian, will be in the pool on Friday July 30 in the women’s 50 metres freestyle.

Jasmine Abrams and Emanuel Archibald will take to the starting blocks in their respective 100 metres on Friday, July 30; Aliyah Abrams will make her second appearance at the Olympics in the women’s 400 metres on Tuesday, August 3.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

Bavuma half-century powers Proteas to T20 series sweep TEMBA Bavuma played a captain’s knock, scoring 72 from 51 balls, to lead the Proteas to a 49-run win

in the third T20 against Ireland.

The win, also propelled

by Reeza Hendricks’ 69 from

48, meant South Africa completed a 3-0 clean sweep of the T20 series in Ireland, after drawing the One Day

International series 1-1 Bavuma, who opened with his Lions teammate Hendricks put togethert 12

Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks put together a massive opening stand (Getty Images)

t-run opening stand, after Quinton de Kock earned a rest, hit two sixes and six fours in his innings as South Africa posted 189-2.

Chasing 190 for victory, the target proved too much for the Irish to overcome, falling short on 140-9.

The Proteas came into the game having made five changes to the team that sealed the series in the second T20, with de Kock, Tabraiz Shamsi and Lungi Ngidi among the big omissions.

Bowlers Lizaad Williams (2-30), George Linde (2-21),

Wiaan Mulder (2-10) and Andile Phehlukwayo (1-15) used their opportunities in the South African attack to good effect.

The Proteas were also sharper in the field as two run-outs by Bavuma and Phehlukwayo saw the end of Simi Singh’s and Mark Adair’s innings.

Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie top-scored for the hosts with 27 from 22 balls before he became one of Linde’s victims, trapped in front. (Sport24)

USA go medal-less in Day 1 of Olympics for first time in 49 years

THE 2020 Olympics officially got underway yesterday with the first 11 of 339 gold medals, plus their silver and bronze siblings meeting their new owners in Tokyo.

For the first time in nearly a half-century of the Summer Olympics, none of those new owners were American. According to Olympic historian Bill Mallon, it was the first medal-less Day 1 for the United States since Munich in 1972.

While a medal-less Day 1 isn’t infrequent in the Winter Olympics for the U.S. - the same thing happened in 2018 at Pyeongchang - the only other time the United States didn’t have a medal by the end of the first day of a Summer Olympics was when it boycotted the 1980 Games.

Why didn’t Team USA medal in Day 1?

Yesterday’s drought covered the following 11 events in seven different sports: Mixed team archery Men’s road race cycling Women’s epee fencing Men’s saber fencing Women’s 48kg judo Men’s 60kg judo Women’s 10m air rifle shooting Men’s 10m air pistol shooting Men’s 58kg taekwondo Women’s 49kg taekwondo

Women’s 49kg weightlifting None of those sports are ones that typically power the U.S. medal count, like swimming, track and field, gymnastics and basketball. There wasn’t even an American entered in the judo and taekwondo events.

The only events in which the U.S. seemed to have a reasonable shot at a medal going in were men’s saber and women’s 10m air rifle. Eli Dershwitz is ranked No. 2 in the world in saber, but fell to three-time world champion and 2016 bronze medallist Junghwan Kim. Mary Tucker was the Associated Press’ pick to win gold in the rifle event, but finished sixth while the first gold medal of the competition instead went to China’s Qian Yang.

The closest Team USA got to a Day 1 medal might have been the cycling road race, where Brandon McNulty unexpectedly sat in second place late in the race, but quickly faded for a sixth-place finish.

If you want to take the Day 1 drought as an omen, the 1972 U.S. Olympic team eventually posted 33 gold medals and 94 total medals, both marks finishing second to the Soviet Union. The U.S. finished behind the Soviets in the next two Summer Olympics as well. (Yahoo Sports)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

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U.S. rebound with 6-1 win over NZ; Britain, Sweden enter quarters

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -The United States women’s soccer team returned to winning ways with a clinical 6-1 victory over New Zealand at Saitama Stadium yesterday, while Britain and Sweden maintained perfect starts to book their places in the Olympic tournament’s knockout stage.

After suffering a first defeat in 30 months to Sweden in their Group G opener, the Americans, who are world champions, made a much-improved start against New Zealand, breaking the deadlock inside 10 minutes with a Rose Lavelle strike.

With U.S. First Lady Jill Biden watching from the stands, the four-time Olympic gold medallists turned

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Soccer Football - Women - Group G - New Zealand v United States - Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan - . Carli Lloyd of the United States shoots at goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington

on the style with waves of attacks and went on to double their lead just before halftime through a Lindsey Horan header.

Two second-half own goals compounded New Zealand’s problems and U.S. substitutes Alex Morgan and Christen Press also got on the

Macron, Jill Biden look on as France lose to USA

By Rocky Swift

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden watched their countrywomen tangle on the 3x3 basketball court at the sport’s Olympic debut.

Biden jumped to her feet and clapped when the clock ran out with the U.S. team winning 17-10 against No.1 ranked France. Stefanie Dolson, who played for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky in the 2021 season, led the Americans with seven points.

In the first game of the tournament, Japan’s women’s team lost 21-18 to the No.2-ranked Russian women who, competing as the ROC, won both of their matches.

Serbia’s men, also favourites for medals, had a perfect record on the day.

With the U.S. men’s team’s surprise elimination in the qualifiers, Serbia and Latvia seem favourites in the medal race.

Serbia beat China 2213 then edged Netherlands

President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Jill Biden are among the few dignitaries in attendance.

16-15.

“This is the biggest tournament in my life so you know it will be a pleasure to win any kind of medal, but we are aiming for the gold,” said Serbia’s Dusan Domovic Bulut, the fledgling sport’s first superstar.

Latvia beat Poland 2114 in their first match, but then were upset 21-20 by Belgium with a game-winning two-point shot from Thibaut Vervoort in the final minute.

However, the Belgians then lost 18-16 to Japan in the last game of the day.

With an Olympics de-

but, 3x3 is looking to boost its global profile as a faster-paced, more compact alternative to basketball.

The game is played on half-court with three players on each side and a team wins by reaching 21 points or having the most baskets by the end of the 10-minute game clock.

DJs play hip-hop music throughout competition 3x3 games, in keeping with the sport’s urban roots.

The medal matches will take place on Wednesday after a round-robin tournament of eight teams each of men and women.

scoresheet as the pre-tournament favourites moved back into contention for a final-eight spot.

Sweden continued their dominant run with a 4-2 comeback win over Australia.

Captain Sam Kerr scored a double to hand the Matildas a 2-1 lead, only for Sweden to score three quick-fire goals courtesy of Lina Hurtig, Stina Blackstenius and Fridolina Rolfo’s second.

‘TOTALLY COMMITTED’ BRITAIN In Group E, Manchester City forward Ellen White nodded in her third goal of the tournament as Britain guaranteed their progress to the knockout stages with a

1-0 victory over hosts Japan, who stay winless after two games.

“We’re very happy with two wins and that puts us in the position to rest players and recover for the knockout stages,” Britain coach Hege Riise said.

“We were a different team in the second half, we had the togetherness I want to see and we were totally committed.”

A Dominique Janssen free kick in the 79th minute rescued a point for Netherlands in a 3-3 draw with Brazil, with the Oranje retaining the top spot in Group F on goal difference.

After scoring a treble for Zambia in their 10-3 drubbing by Netherlands on

Wednesday, striker Babra Banda enhanced her status as the competition’s breakout player with another hat-trick in a 4-4 draw with China in Group F. China had a goal machine of their own in Wang Shuang, who scored four times including a late penalty to earn her side a deserved point at Rifu’s Miyagi Stadium.

Wang became only the third player to score four goals in a match at the Games and the second in the tournament after Dutchwoman Vivianne Miedema.

Earlier, forward Janine Beckie scored in each half as Canada beat Chile 2-1 at the Sapporo Dome.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

Pakistan comfortable with `safe environment’ for Windies series

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Pakistan have backed the bio-secure protocols in place for their upcoming Test and Twenty20 (T20) series against West Indies.

The Asian side arrived here recently and will face West Indies in the first of two T20 Internationals (T20I), at Kensington Oval next Tuesday, before flying to Guyana for the last three matches.

Jamaica’s Sabina Park will be the stage for the twoTest series from August 12 to 24.

Thursday’s second OneDay International (ODI) against Australia at Kensington Oval was scuppered following the toss, after a member of the West Indies support staff tested positive for COVID-19.

But, even with that series now in doubt, Pakistan head

coach Misbah-ul-Haq said he believed both cricket boards had gone to great lengths to ensure a “safe environment” for players.

“Overall, the scenario is the same in every sports activity, so we have to live with that,” the former Test captain said here.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and West Indies Cricket Board (Cricket West Indies) are trying (to ensure) that players play in a safe environment. Staying in a bubble is always different as you don’t have (those) social activities, and you have to travel from one bubble to another so there is always a difficulty.

“But cricket and other sports have to go on like this for some time, so I guess everyone is trying to adapt.”

Both West Indies and Australia, along with officials

Misbah says cricket and other sports have to go on like this for some time so I guess everyone is trying to adapt.

(Photo: AFP)

and broadcast crew, were forced to be retested and isolate in their hotel rooms,

following the confirmation of the positive COVID-19 case.

Cricket West Indies was

expected to make an announcement later Friday on the future of the series, once the latest results of tests were known.

Pakistan are coming off a tour of England, where they lost 2-1 in a three-match T20 series last week, and 3-0 in the ODI series earlier in the month. Misbah said he expected an improved performance in the Caribbean series.

“The players were coming into the ODI series against England after playing the T20 format (Pakistan Super League) so it was difficult for them to get adjusted quickly,” he explained.

“After playing in England, we had some good practice and the conditions in the last two matches in England were the same as in Abu Dhabi, and like here in West Indies, so I expect

players to do well here.”

He added: “Before the England series, the series we played (against Zimbabwe and South Africa) had very good results. Overall the team is very good.”

With the T20 World Cup in October already firmly in their sights, Misbah said the pending West Indies series would be a crucial one for Pakistan.

“Each and every game from here is very important for us. We need to make improvements. I am hopeful we will do well in this series,” he stressed.

“We are near to our final combination (for the World Cup). Our middle order is not performing as well as our top order. We didn’t get the desired results in the England series, but we know about our combination.”

“I got many messages and a special message from Tata Nelson Mandela. He expressed to me how important I was for the country and what it meant. That’s when I sat back and felt there’s more to this

game of cricket than just me walking out onto the cricket field. I represented a new generation of young black South Africans performing in the world,” added the spinner.

(CricTracker)

Former SA spinner Paul Adams opens up about facing racism ALTHOUGH cricket is known as a gentleman’s game, there have been many unpleasant stories regarding racism. Time and again, players have come out and revealed how they dealt with this social injustice.

While several cricketers have faced racist remarks from spectators and opposition players, many also have suffered racism in the team’s atmosphere. Former South African wrist-spinner Paul Adams recently revealed one such dreadful story.

Adams said that he has faced racial discrimination on numerous occasions in his playing and coaching career.

The left-arm spinner, who was famous for his unusual action, was the only player of his colour in South Africa XI when he made his Test debut in 1995 against England. He also remained a minority in race terms throughout his nine-year-old international career.

Speaking at Cricket South

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday July 25, 2021)

Former South Africa spinner Paul Adams

Africa’s (CSA) Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, Adams highlighted the need of greater education to ensure people of all races are treated without any discrimination. The spinner revealed that his teammates often mocked him with demeaning terms.

“I was called brown s*** when I was playing. It often used to be a song when we won a game and we were in

fines’ meetings. They would sing, ‘brown s*** in the ring, tra la la la laa,’” Adams said. The 44-year-old further said that it was his wife, his girlfriend then, who told him those words are not appropriate.

“When you are playing for your country, when you have had that victory, you don’t make sense of it, you brush it off, but it’s blatantly racist. Some people will say

unconscious bias and they weren’t aware but this is why we are here – to change that,” he asserted.

Although Adams never opened up about prejudice during his playing days, he was raring to share all his experiences. The veteran also talked about how former South African president Tata Nelson Mandela boosted his morale with an encouraging message.

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown Tel: 225-6158 Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Brian Lara-156 (Adelaide, 2005) (2) Saeed Anwar-131 (Sharjah, 1993)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Which WI bowler has captured most ODI wickets against PAK to date?

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

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

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Allicock, coach Blake praised highly by Ninvalle

By Rawle Toney

ALTHOUGH Keevin Allicock was knocked out in the round-of-32 of the Men’s Featherweight Division at the Tokyo Olympics, he came in for high praises from Steve Ninvalle, president of the Guyana Boxing Association.

“Keevin gave of his best and that’s what we asked him for,” Ninvalle told Chronicle Sport yesterday.

Judges Beau Campbell (USA), Radoslav Simon (Slovakia), Susann Kopke (Germany) Mansur Muhiddinov (Tajikistan) and Nelka Shiromala Thampu (Sri Lanka), all scored the fight in favour of Alexy de la Cruz of the Dominican Republic over Allicock.

The decision did not sit

Keevin Allicock (L) and coach Sebert Blake prior to the Men’s Featherweight Division bout at the Tokyo Olympics.

too well with seasoned boxing pundits, with many calling the fight in favour of Allicock.

“The judges would have seen or would have had in their opinion, that the boxer from the Dominican Republic won; that is something that we have to accept,” Ninvalle opined.

According to Ninvalle, “The good thing is that Keevin would have learned a lot from being in this Olympics and the other good thing coming out of it is that he’s ready and willing to face another Olympics.”

Meanwhile, Ninvalle, speaking on the future of his most-prized boxer, pointed out that “Keevin has given me his word that he will be staying over in the Amateur ranks for the next Olympics.

He will be nurtured as an Amateur fighter and my plan is to have him and other boxers exposed to the high level of competition in the world, so that his next occasion at the Olympics, he will be much better than this one.”

“I take my hat off to Keevin and his coach Sebert Blake. I think they’ve done a lot of work and we need to commend them; his focus and how tenacious he was in remaining in his training and I was assured that the next time we will have better results,” Ninvalle said.

The local boxing association president said, “There are no losers here.

Keevin has learned a lot and the experience will do good for him and Guyana.”

Georgetown cricket set to re-start with U-17 competition on August 16

THE Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) announced on Friday night that cricket in the capital city would re-start next month with an Under-17 competition.

According to information from Chairman of the GCA’s Competitions Committee, Shaun Massiah, the U-17 competition is set to re-start on August 16.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cricket in Georgetown was only briefly played in 2021 since its suspension in early 2020.

In mid-March this year, GCA re-started with three 20/20 competitions, including the GISE Star Party Rentals and Trophy Stall First Division two-day cricket competition, the Noble House Seafoods Second Division two-day cricket competition and the NBS Second Division 40-over competition.

Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, however, cricket was again suspended on April 10.

UPCCOMING BATTLES The U-19 competition, along with the continuation

of all other unfinished competitions, is also scheduled following next month’s U-17 battle.

Massiah noted that a grand launch would be done following the Pakistan/West Indies T20 clashes in Guyana. Those Guyana matches are scheduled for July 31, August 1 and August 3 at the Guyana National Stadium.

He said that the competitions for the new season include Under-15, U-17, U-19, U-23, second-division T20, first division 50-over and first division two-day.

“We are kindly asking all clubs to take note and please see how quickly they can get their venues ready once the consistent rain is over, Massiah noted….”

The Competition Committee chairman said that vaccination is also being encouraged, but not mandatory.

“Everyone is reminded to get vaccinated even though it is their choice.

Please continue to follow all COVID-19 protocols and be safe.”

GCA cricket is set to re-start with an U-17 competition on August 16.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 25, 2021

Edghill, Allicock inspire but out of Tokyo Olympics See page 27

Guyana’s Keevin Allicock (R) connects a left jab to Alex Miguel de la Cruz Baez of Dominican Republic during the Men’s Featherweight division (52-57 kg) Tokyo, Japan.

(Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Chelsea Edghill (L) and her Coach Idi Lewis after wrapping up competition at the Tokyo Olympics

Pooran and Holder earn West Indies ODI series-levelling victory NICHOLAS Pooran and Jason Holder rescued West Indies from more top-order troubles to level the ODI series in Barbados in the match that was delayed by 48 hours after the Covid-19 score in the home side’s camp.

In the end it was Australia’s collapse that proved decisive when they crumbled to 45 for 6 as left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein claimed three wickets in six balls.

The last four wickets turned the innings around by added 142 runs, which included a

59-run ninth-wicket stand between Adam Zampa and Wes Agar, then when West Indies slipped to 72 for 5 - with Mitchell Starc again brilliant - there was the chance of a remarkable resurgence.

(Scores: West Indies 191 for 6 (Pooran 59*, Holder 52, Starc 3-26) beat Australia 187 (W Agar 41, Hosein 3-30) by xx wickets).

However, Pooran and Holder played with excellent composure knowing that the required rate was never an issue. Pooran was given lives on 26 and 49, the first when

Moises Henriques spilled a simple chance at mid-off, and Holder was reprieved by the DRS but it was a well-constructed stand during which Holder brought up his first ODI fifty since the 2019 World Cup while Pooran was unbeaten to finish things off.

Even though the toss remained from two days ago, West Indies had given permission for Australia to make a change to their XI with Agar replacing Josh Hazlewood who had been managing a calf niggle and hadn’t Continued on page 27 Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran steadied West Indies (AFP)

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| SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2021